THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


ALLAN     PINKERTON'S 

GREAT  DETECTIVE  BOOKS 


1. — MOLLIE  MAGUIRES  AND  DETECTIVES. 

»2. — STRIKERS,  COMMUNISTS,  AND  DETECTIVES. 

3. — CRIMINAL  REMINISCENCES  AND  DETECTIVES. 

4. — THE  MODEL  TOWN  AND  DETECTIVES. 

5. — SPIRITUALISTS  AND  DETECTIVES. 

6  EXPRESSMEN  AND  DETECTIVES. 

7. — THE  SOMNAMBULIST  AND  DETECTIVES. 

8. — CLAUDE  MKLNOTTE  AS  A  DETECTIVE. 

9. — MISSISSIPPI  OUTLAWS  AND  DETECTIVES. 
10. — GYPSIES  AND  DETECTIVES. 
11. — BUC1IOLZ  AND  DETECTIVES. 
12. — THE  RAILROAD  FORGER  AND  DETECTIVES. 
18. — BANK  ROBBERS  AND  DETECTIVES. 
14.— BURGLAR'S  FATE  AND  DETECTIVES. 
15. — A  DOUBLE  LIFE  AND  DETECTIVES. 


These  wonderful  Detective  Stories  by  Allan   Pinkcrton  are 

having    an    unprecedented    success.      Their   s:ii<;    far 

exceeding  one  hundred   tho;i.-amt   copies.      "  The 

interest  which  the  reader  feels  from  the  outset 

is  intense  and  resistless  ;  he  is  swept  along 

by  the  narrative,  held   by  it.  whether 

he  will  or  no." 

All  beautifully  illustrated,  and  published  uniform  wilh  this 

volume.     Price  $\.~,0  each.     Sold   by  all  booksellers,  and 

eeutj'rt<!  by  mail,  on  receipt  of  price,  by 

G.    W.    CAliLETON     &     CO.,    Publishers, 
New  York. 


MISSISSIPPI    OUTLAWS 


AND   THE 


DETECTIVES. 


DON  PEDRO  AND  THE  DETECTIVES. 


POISONER  AND  THE  DETECTIVES. 


BY 

ALLAN    PINKtfRTON, 

AUTHOR    OP 

'THE  EXPRESSMAN  AND  THE    DETECTIVE,"    "THE    MODEL    TOWS 

AND    THE    DETECTIVES,"    "THE    SPIRITUALISTS   AND  THE 

DETECTIVES,"  "THE  MOLL1E  MAGUIKES  AND  THE 

DETECTIVES,"    "STRIKERS,   COMMUNISTS, 

TRAMPS    AND     DETECTIVES," 

ETC.,    ETC.,   ETC. 


NEW      YORK: 

G.    IV.    Billing  ham\   Publisher, 

SUCCESSOR  TO  G.  W.  CARLETON  &  Co. 

LONDON  :      S.    LOW,    SON    &    CO. 
MDCCCLXXXVIl. 


COPYRIGHT 

BY 

ALLAN  PINKERTON, 

1879. 


SAMUEL  STODDEB,  Tno\r 

STKKKOTYPKIS,  PlUNTING   AND   I!(K)K  lifNni.N'G  CO. 

90  ANN  STREET,  N.  "V.  >;.  y. 


College 
Library 


CONTENTS. 


MISSISSIPPI  OUTLAWS  AND  THE  DETECTtYES. 

CHAPTER    I.  FAOI 

A  daring  Express  Robbery.— Mr.  Pinkerton  appealed  to. — Cane-brakes  and 

cane-fed  People. — Annoying  delays  and  Amateur  Detective* 9 

CHAPTER   II. 

Difficulties.—  Blind  Trails  and  False  Scents.— A  Series  of  Illustrations  show- 
ing the  Number  of  Officious  People  and  Confidence  Men  that  often  seek 

Notoriety  and  Profit  througk  important  Detective  Operations 21 

CHAPTER    III. 

M  Old  Hicks,"  a  drunken  Planter,  is  entertained  by  a  Hunting-Party. — Les- 
ter's Landing. — Its  Grocery-Store  and  Mysterious  Merchants. — -A  danger- 
ous Situation. — The  unfortunate  Escape  of  Two  of  the  Robbers 32 

CHAPTER    IV. 

The  Captured  Ruffians  are  desired  for  Guides,   but  dare  not  join  in  the 
h  for  the  Outlaws. — One  of  the  Robbers  is  Taken,  but  subsequently 

K  -d  from  the  Amateur  Detectives. — Another  Clue  suddenly  fails 44 

CHAPTER   V. 

A  Rich  Lead  Struck  at  Last 50 

CHAPTER    VI. 

The  Mother  of  the  Farringtona,  bi-ing  arrested,  boasts  that  her  Sons  "Will 
never  be  taken  Alive." — Another  Unfortunate  Blunder  by  Amateur  De- 
tectivee.— An  interesting  Fate  intended  for  the  l> 

Pinkerton  captures  the  Murderer  of  a  Negro  in  Union  City,  proving  "a 
very  good  Fellow— for  a  Yankee." 56 

CIIAP/TER    VH. 

The  Scene  of  Action  transferred  to  Missouri.— The  Chase  becoming  Hot 68 

CHAPTER    VIII. 

A  determined  Party  of  Horsemen.— The  Outlaws  surrounded  and  the  Birds 
caged. — A  Parley. — The  burning  Cabin.— Its  Occupants  finally  surrender.  80 

CHAPTER    IX. 

Barton's  Confession.— The  Express  liohberies,  and  the  Outlaw's  subsequent 
ieiuvx    fully  set  forth  therein. — A  Clue  that  had  been  suddenly 

dropped  taken  up  with  so  much  Profit 91 

CIIAI'TKU    X. 

A  terrible  Stru^c  for  Life  or  Deatli  upon  the  Transfer-boat  "Illinois." — 
"  Overboard!"— One  less  Desperado.— Fourth  and  Last  Robber  taken. . .  101 

CHAPTER    XI. 

in  the  Drama  approaching. — A  new  Character  appears. — The 
Citi/.ensof  Union  City  sudde  >  have  important  business  on 
baud.— The  Vigilantes  and  their  Work.— The  End 114 

DON  PEDRO  AND  THE  DETECTIVES. 

CIIAI'TKU     I. 

A  fraudulent  Scheme  contemplated.— A  dashing  Peruvian  Don  and  Donna.— 
Mr.  i'inkei-ton  engaged  by  Senator  Muirhead  to  uuvail 
the  mystery  of  his  Life 125 

CHAPTER    II. 

Madnnie  Sevier.  Widow,  of  Chicago,  and  Monsieur  Lesparre,  of  Bordeaux, 
Mr.  Pinkerton,  as  a  Laborer,  anxious  for  a  Job, 
oriu  Mansion 148 


1116241 


Vi  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    ITT.  TAGH 

Monsieur  Le.=parre,  having  a  lu'enJivn  memory,  becomes  Fervid-able  to  Don 
Pedro.— Diamond  fields  and  droll  An  n  an 
unfortunate  Predicament. — The  grand  Hcfeption  clo-r-  with  a  happy 
Arrangement  that  the  gay  Sefior  and  Scuora  shall  dine  with  Mr.  Pinker- 
ton's  Detectives  on  the  n  158 

< 'HAITI-IK    IV. 

Madame  Sevier  and  Her  Work. — Unaccountable  Coquettlshnesa  between 
Man  and  Wife.— A  Startling  Scheme.  Illustrating  the  Rashness  of 

American  Business  Men  aud  the  Supreme  Assurance  of  Don  Pedro 170 

CHAPTER    V. 

The  third  Detective  is  made  welcome  at  Dun  Pedro's.—  The  Sefior  is  paid  the 
first  half-million  dollars  from  the  great  Diamond  Company. — How  Don 

Pedro  is  "working "  his  diamond  mines 18$ 

CHAPTER    VI. 

An  unexpected  Meeting  and  a  startling  Recognition.  An  old  friend  some- 
what disturbs  the  Equanimity  of  Don  Pedro.  The  Detectives  fix  their 

Attention  upon  Pietro  Bernard! 005 

CHAPTER    VII. 
Pietro  Bernard!  and  the  Detective  become  warm  Friends. — A  TSte-a-tete 

worth  one  thousand  dollars 219 

CHAPTER    VIII. 

Don  Pedro  anxious  for  Pietro  Bernardi's  absence. — "  Coppering  the  Jack 
and  playing  the  Ace  and  Queen  open." — Bernard!  Quieted,  and  he  subse- 
quently departs  richer  by  five  thousand  dollars 238 

CHAPTER    IX. 
Important  Info-mation  from  the  Peruvian  Government. — Arrival  In  (:  '• 

of  the  Peruvian  Minister  and  Consul.— In  Consultation.—"  Robbing  I'<  IIT 
to  pay  Paul. "—Mr.  Pinkerton's  Card  Is  presented.— Jnan  Sanchez,  I  arrest 

you,  and  yon  are  my  Prisoner. — Mr.  Pinkerton  not  "  For  Sale." 249 

CHAPTER    X. 

The  Fete  Champetre. — A  grand  Carnival.— The  disappointed  married  Lover. — 
A  vain  Request. — Unmasked  ! — An  indignant  Deacon. — Don  Pedro  taken 
to  Pern  in  a  man-of-war,  where  he  is  convicted  and  sentenced  to  fifteen 
years  Imprisonment 265 

THE  POISONER  AND  THE  DETECTIVES. 

CHAPTER    I. 

Mr.  Pinkerton  at  a  Water-cure  becomes  interested  in  a  Conple,  one  of  whom 
subsequently  causes  the  Detective  Operation  from  which  this  Story  is 
written. — A  wealthy  ship-owner  and  his  son. —The  son  "  l-'ound  dead." — 

Mr.  Pinkerton  secured  to  solve  the  Mystery. — Chicago  after  the  Fire 288 

CHAPTER  II. 

The  Detectives  at  work. — Mrs.  Sanford  described. — Charlie,  the  Policeman. — 
Mrs.  Sanford  develops  Interest  in  Government  Bonds.— Chicago  Relief 
and  Aid  Benefits.— Mrs.  Sanford's  Story  of  Trafton's  Death 298 

CHAPTER    III. 
The  dangerous  Side  of  the  Woman's  Character.— Robert  A.  Pinkerton  as 

Adamson.  the  drunken,  but  wealthy  Stranger,  has  a  violent  Struggle  to 
escape  from  Mrs.  Sanford.  and  is  afterwards  robbed. — Detective  lugham 

arrested,  but  very  shortly  liberated 319 

CHAPTER    IV. 

Connecting  Links.— Mrs.  Sanford's  Ability  as  an  Imitator  of  Actors.— One 
Detective  tears  himself  away  from  her,  and  another  takes  his  Place. — 
Mrs.  Sanford's  mind  frequently  burdened  with  the  subject  of  Murder...  340 
CHAPTER    V. 

A  moneyed  young  Texan  becomes  oneof  Mis.  Sanford's  I,<  >dgi  -rs.—  The  bonds 
are  seen  and  their  Numbers  taken  by  the  Detective*.— Mrs.  Sanford  ar- 
rested.— She  is  found  guilty  of  •'  Involuntary  Manslaughter."  an> 
tenced  to   the   Illinois  IVnit>  ntiary  for    live  years.— Mr.  Pinkertou's 
Theory  of  the  Manner  in  which  Traf ton  was  murdered 854 


PREFACE. 


IN  presenting  to  the  public  another  volume,  of  my 
detective  stories,  I  would  call  the  attention  of  the  reader 
to  the  fact,  that  these  stories  are  literally  written  from 
facts  and  incidents  which  have  come  under  my  own 
observation,  or  been  worked  up  by  officers  acting  di- 
rectly under  my  instructions. 

The  Mississippi  River  has  for  many  years — more 
especially  since  the  close  of  the  war — been  infested  by 
a  class  of  men  who  never  would  try  to  get  an  honest 
living,  but  would  prey  upon  their  neighbors  or  attack 
the  property  of  southern  railroads  and  express  com- 
panies ;  these  marauders  could  be  seen  any  day  prowl- 
ing along  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  in  fact,  the  shores 
and  immediate  neighborhood  were  peopled  by  just  such 
a  class,  who  cared  not  how  they  obtained  a  living  ;  for 
the  crimes  they  committed,  they  often  suffered  infinitely 
worse  punishment,  more  so  than  any  suffering  which 
could  hare  been  entailed  on  them  from  leading  a  poor 
but  honest  life. 


Vlll  PREFACE. 

The  story  of  the  "Mississippi  OUTLAWS  AND  THH 
DETECTIVES  "  is  written  to  illustrate  incidents  which 
took  place  in  the  southern  section  of  the  country  at  no 
rery  remote  date. 

"  DON  PEDEO  AND  THE  DETECTIVES  "  is  another  story 
of  detective  experience,  which  came  under  my  own 
observation  and  management  ;  it  is  a  truthful  narrative, 
and  shows  that  some  men  are  worse  than  known  crimi- 
nals, and  can  squander  the  money  they  have  obtained 
by  false  pretenses,  in  a  very  lavish  manner. 

"  THE  POISONER  AND  THE  DETECTIVES  "  is  a  well- 
known  bit  of  dete'ctive  experience,  which,  when  read, 
will  be  recognized  by  any  one  who  ever  takes  an  inter- 
est in  crime,  and  the  bringing  to  justice  its  perpetrators. 

The  reader  must  remember  that  fictitious  names  are 
used  in  all  of  these  stories,  otherwise  the  facts  are 
plainly  and  truthfully  told  as  they  occurred. 

ALLAV  PINKERTON. 

April,  1879. 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  OUTLAWS 


AND 


TIKE    IDIETIEOTIVES. 


CHAPTER  I. 

A  daring  Express  Robbery,  —  Mr.  Ptnkerton  appealed 
to.  —  Cane-brakes  and  cane-fed  People.  —  Atti«.>i/!n<i 
Delays  and  Amateur  Detectives. 

rpHE  southern  and  border  states,  since  the  close 
-L  of  the  war  of  the  rebellion,  have  been  the 
frequent  scenes  of  extensive  and  audacious  rob- 
beries. This  has  been  largely  owing  to  the 
sparsely-settled  condition  of  certain  districts,  to 
the  disorder  and  lawlessness  generated  by  the 
war,  and  to  the  temptations  offered  by  the  care- 
lessness of  many  persons  having  large  sums  in- 
trusted to  their  care  in  transit  through  lonely  and 
desolate  localities. 

The  express  companies  have  always  been  fav- 
orite objects  of  attack  by  thieves  of  every  grade, 
from  the  embezzling  cashier  to  the  petty  sneak- 
11  lief,  and  some  of  the  operations  connected  with 
tin*  detection  of  this  class  of  criminals  aiv 


the.  most  dilliciiH  and  dan-vions  that   II;L. 


10  A  DARING  EXPRESS  ROBBERY. 

been  intrusted  to  me.  Probably  a  no  more  n-rk- 
less  and  desperate  body  of  men  were  ever  bunded 
together  in  a  civilized  community  than  those  who 
were  brought  to  my  attention  in  1871  by  the 
Southern  Express  Company's  officers  in  Memphis; 
and  I  consider  the  successful  termination  of  my 
efforts  in  this  case  as  of  the  greatest  value  to  the 
people  of  the  South  and  West.  The  whole  affair 
was  conducted  with  such  a  limited  force,  and 
under  such  adverse  circumstances,  that  I  take 
pride  in  here  recording  the  history  of  the  affair 
and  my  connection  with  it.  Though  I  maintained 
a  general  supervision  of  the  operation,  my  eldest 
son,  William  A.  Pinkerton,  was  the  person  hav- 
ing immediate  charge  of  the  matter,  and  to  his 
energy,  perseverance,  and  sagacity  is  mainly  at- 
tributable our  success. 

Some  time  in  the  latter  part  of  July,  1871,  an 
express  messenger  on  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  Rail- 
road was  overpowered  by  three  men  at  Moscow^ 
Kentucky,  and  his  safe  was  robbed  of  about  six- 
teen hundred  dollars.  The  manner  of  effecting 
the  robbery  was  a  very  bold  one,  showing  the 
presence  of  men  of  experience  in  crime.  The  loss 
was  not  heavy,  but  the  company  made  every  ef- 
fort to  discover  the  robbers,  in  the  hope  of  bring- 
ing them  to  a  severe  punishment  as  a  warning  to 
other  criminals.  In  spite,  however,  of  the  efforts 
of  two  of  my  men,  who  were  immediately  sent  to 
the  scene  of  the  robbery,  the  guilty  parties  es- 
ruped  into  the  almost  impenetrable  swamps  along 
the  Mississippi  liivr,  ;md  the  chase  was  reluct- 


A   DARING    KXPRKSS   ROBBERY.  1) 

antly  abandoned,  as  it  was  impossible  to  tell  where 
they  would  come  out  or  cross  the  river.  The 
amount  stolen  was  not  sufficiently  large  to  war 
rant  the  expenditure  of  much  time  or  money  in 
the  pursuit  of  the  thieves,  and  my  men  were  soon 
wholly  withdrawn  from  the  operation.  In  order, 
however,  to  guard  against  a  repetition  of  such  a 
raid,  an  extra  man  was  placed  in  each  express  car 
to  act  as  guard  to  the  regular  messenger.  It  was 
considered  that  two  men,  well  armed,  ought  to  be 
surely  able  to  protect  the  company  against  further 
loss,  and  everything  ran  smoothly  until  October  21, 
1871.  At  this  time,  the  money  shipments  by  ex- 
press were  very  heavy,  as  a  rule,  and  orders  were 
given  that  special  care  should  be  exercised  by  all 
the  employes  having  money  packages  in  charge. 
The  northern-bound  train  on  the  Mobile  and 
Ohio  Railroad  was  due  at  Union  City,  Tennessee, 
about  half-past  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening.  At 
this  point  the  northern  and  southern-bound  trains 
usually  passed  each  other,  and  stopped  long 
enough  for  supper,  the  train  arriving  first  being 
the  one  to  take  the  side  track  ready  to  pull  out. 
Saturday  evening,  October  21st,  the  northern 
bound  train  arrived  on  time,  stopped  at  the 
station  long  enough  to  let  the  passengers  go  to 
supper,  and  then  took  the  side  track  to  await  tin- 
arrival  of  the  train  bound  south.  As  soon  as  the 
sidetrack  was  reached  the  conductor,  engineer. 
fireman,  hrakenian.  and  express  messenger  went 
to  supper,  leaving  the  train  deserted  except  by 
the  express  guard,  named  George  Thompson,  and 


12  A  DARING  EXPRESS  ROBBERY. 

a  fow  passengers.  The  local  express  agent  came 
up  at  this  moment,  gave  his  packages  to  Thomp- 
son, receiving  his  receipt  therefor,  and  returned 
to  the  station.  This  action  was  directly  cent  rai-y 
to  the  rules  of  the  company,  which  forbade  the 
messenger  to  leave  the  car  during  his  whole  run, 
or  to  go  to  sleep;  also,  the  guard  was  forbidden  to 
transact  any  business,  or  to  have  possession  of 
the  safe  key.  Martin  Crowley,  the  messenger, 
had  given  his  key  to  Thompson,  however,  to 
enable  him  to  attend  to  the  business  of  the  local 
agent  while  Crowley  was  away  at  supper.  In 
accordance  with  Thompson's  request,  Crowley 
sent  a  negro  porter  to  the  express  car  with 
Thompson's  supper  on  a  tray,  and  the  porter, 
after  handing  the  tray  to  Thompson,  turned  to 
walk  away.  As  he  did  so,  he  saw  two  men  spring 
into  the  partly  open  door  of  the  express  car,  and, 
almost  immediately,  the  train  began  to  back. 
The  negro  knew  that  something  was  wrong,  and 
he  hurried  to  the  station  to  give  the  alarm.  By 
the  time  he  arrived  there,  however,  the  train  was 
backing  at  a  moderate  speed,  and  was  well  beyond 
the  reach  of  pursuit  on  foot. 

Meantime,  the  guard,  having  received  his  sup- 
per from  the  negro  porter,  turned  his  back  to  the 
door  to  set  the  tray  down.  Before  reaching  the 
desk,  he  heard  a  noise  at  the  door,  and  turning, 
he  was  confronted  by  two  men,  one  of  whom  held 
a  revolver  at  his  head,  while  the  other  seized  his 
throat.  Thompson  was  a  young  man,  and,  not 
b^ing  accustomed  to  meet  such  hard  characters, 


A  DARING  EXPRESS  ROBBERY.  13 

he  was  badly  frightened.  He  immediately  gave 
up  the  safe  key  and  helped  one  of  the  men  to  un- 
lock the  safe.  Having  taken  all  the  money  out 
of  the  safe,  one  of  the  robbers  took  also  the  con- 
tents of  Thompson's  pocket-book;  but  here  the 
other  man  interfered,  insisting  that  the  guard's 
money  be  returned  to  him,  which  was  done.  Xo 
conversation  took  place,  but  when  the  safe  had 
been  carefully  examined  and  all  the  money  it  con- 
tained taken,  one  of  the  men  stepped  to  the  door 
and  swung  a  lantern  once  or  twice.  The  train, 
which  had  been  backing  at  a  moderate  rate  of 
speed,  now  stopped,  and  the  two  men  jumped  off, 
telling  Thompson  to  stay  where  he  was  and  keep 
quiet.  When  the  conductor,  engineer,  and  other 
persons,  whom  the  porter  had  alarmed,  reached 
the  train,  they  found  everything  in  order  except 
the  safe,  into  which  poor  Thompson  was  vainly 
peering  in  the  hope  of  discovering  that  some  por- 
tion of  the  funds  might  have  been  overlooked. 
The  men  had  disappeared  in  the  thick  woods,  and 
no  trace  of  them  was  found  except  a  small  car- 
pet-bag containing  potatoes  and  bread.  The 
amount  missing  from  the  safe  was  about  six 
thousand  dollars  in  currency. 

A 1  though  the  robbery  was  at  once  reported  to  Mr. 
M.  J.  O'Brien,  the  General  Superintendent,  by  tel- 
egraph, no  action  seems  to  have  been  taken  until 
the  folio \ving  Wednesday — four  days  later — when 
Mr.  OT.n'en  sent  me  a  brief  telegram  announcing 
tho  rohhery,  and  requesting  me  to  come  to  Univii 
City  in  person,  if  possible,  and  if  not,  to  send 


14  A  DARING   EXPRKSS   IIOU15KRY.. 

eldest  son,  William  A.  Pmkurton.  The  telegiaph 
was  used  freely  for  the  next  two  days,  and  \vhile 
my  son  was  gathering  clues  and  making  his  prep- 
arations, we  learned  most  of  the  facts  by  letter. 
William  arrived  in  Union  City  on  Saturday,  just 
one  week  after  the  robbery  had  been  committed, 
and  he  instantly  began  to  gather  information  from 
every  available  source.  Except  the  statements  of 
the  negro  porter  and  Thompson,  the  guard,  as 
condensed  in  the  account  heretofore  given,  little 
information  could  be  obtained,  as  so  few  persons 
were  about  the  train  when  it  began  to  move  off. 
While  two  or  three  had  seen  the  men  who  had 
entered  the  car,  no  one  had  seen  who  had  rur 
the  locomotive,  and  there  was,  therefore,  no  cer- 
tainty as  to  the  number  of  persons  engaged  in 
the  job.  One  passenger  had  seen  two  men  walk- 
ing toward  the  engine  in  a-  suspicious  mannei\ 
and,  as  his  description  of  these  two  was  entirely 
different  from  that  given  of  the  men  who  had 
entered  the  car,  it  was  fair  to  presume  that  they 
had  been  a  part  of  the  gang.  Still,  no  one  had 
seen  them  get  on  the  engine,  and  it  was  not  cer- 
tain that  they  had  had  anything  to  do  with  the 
affair.  At  the  end  of  three  days,  however,  Wil- 
liam had  collected  sufficient  information  to  sat- 
isfy himself  that  either  four  or  five  men  had  been 
at  work  together;  and,  by  collating  the  various 
descriptions  he  received,  he  obtained  a  pretty  fair 
idea  of  the  party. 

The  first  thing  which  struck  him  was  the  simi- 
larity of  this  robbery  to  the  one  which  had  occurred 


A  DARING  EXPRESS  ROBBERY.  15 

exactly  three  months  before  at  Moscow,  Kentucky. 
The  appearance  of  the  men  and  their  actions  had 
bc/eii  precisely  like  those  of  the  Moscow  party,  and 
it  was  evident  that  they  had  been  emboldened  to  a 
second  venture  by  the  ease  with  which  they  had 
carried  through  their  former  scheme.  One  thing 
was  imperative:  the  capture  of  the  whole  gang 
would  be  necessary  to  insure  the  safety  of  the  ex- 
press company's  property  in  the  future.  Indeed, 
it  was  a  mere  piece  of  good  fortune  that  the  loss 
in  this  instance  was  not  irreparable,  for  the 
amount  of  money  carried  on  the  southern-bound 
train  was  eighty  thousand  dollars,  and  the  robbers 
would  have  obtained  this  large  amount  if  the 
southern-bound  train  had  chanced  to  arrive  first. 
The  robbery  was  clearly  one  which  no  common 
tramp  or  sneak-thief  would  have  dared  to  attempt, 
and  William  saw  immediately  the  difficulties  of 
his  work.  Before  proceeding  with  the  incidents 
of  the  operation,  I  must  give  some  idea  of  the 
country  and  the  people  living  there,  since  no-i»ne 
would  otherwise  comprehend  one-half  of  the  ob- 
stacles and  dangers  which  were  involved  in  a 
search  for  the  criminals  in  that  vicinity. 

The  southwestern  part  of  Kentucky  and  the 
northwestern  part  of  Tennessee  are  about  as  des- 
olate portions  of  the  world  as  are  inhabited  by  a 
civilized  people.  There  seems  to  have  been  some 
convulsion  of  the  earth  at  this  point,  which  is 
sunk  so  far  below  the  general  level  of  the  whole 
country  as  to  make  it  a  perpetual  swamp.  The 
annual  overflow  of  the  Ohio  and  Mi;-si.-H|»pi  lays 


16  A  DARING  EXPRESS  ROBBERY. 

the  country  under  water  for  a  distance  of  many 
miles,  while  even  in  the  dryest  season,  the  mo 
rasses,  sunken  lakes,  and  dense  cane-brakes,  ren- 
der it  almost  impassable,  except  for  people  who 
have  been  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  locality 
for  years. 

The  sunken  lakes  are  natural  curiosities  in  them- 
selves, and,  although  they  have  attracted  consid- 
erable attention  from  scientific  men,  no  satisfac- 
tory explanation  of  their  causes  and  phenomena 
has  been  found.  The  country  is  full  of  game  and 
the  water  is  alive  with  fish,  so  that  the  necessities 
of  life  are  easily  obtainable.  The  cane-brakes  are 
wonderful  growths  of  bamboo  cane,  and  they 
sometimes  cover  strips  of  country  as  much  as 
seventy  miles  long.  In  the  spring-time,  the  water 
rises  to  such  a  height  that  a  skiff  can  navigate 
freely  above  and  through  the  tops  of  the  cane; 
but  in  dry  weather,  the  stalks  grow  so  closely  to- 
gether that  the  brake  becomes  impenetrable  to 
man  or  beast,  except  by  winding  tortuously 
around  the  clumps  through  the  comparatively 
thin  portions  of  the  undergrowth.  To  search  for 
any  one  wishing  to  remain  concealed  therein  is 
like  the  proverbial  attempt  to  look  for  a  needle  in 
a  hay-stack,  since  a  man  can  pass  within  ten 
yards  of  another  without  seeing  him  or  being 
aware  of  his  presence.  The  only  roads  which 
traverse  these  places  are  mere  cattle  paths,  which 
begin  at  no  place  and  run  no  where;  and,  unless  a 
man^be  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  country* 
he  can  never  li-H  where  any  given  path  will  lead 
him. 


A  DARING   EXPRESS   ROBBERY.  17 

The  people  around  the  towns,  such  as  Hickman, 
Union  City,  Dyersburg,  and  Moscow,  are  a  highly 
respectable  and  well-educated  class ;  but  in  the 
low,  swampy  country,  in  the  cane  brake  and  along 
the  river,  they  are  not,  as  a  rule,  a  very  agreeable 
class  to  live  among.  Of  course,  here,  as  in  all 
other  places,  there  are  many  intelligent,  reliable, 
honorable  men,  but  the  great  mass  of  the  cane- 
brake  population  are  ignorant  and  brutal.  The 
term  which  they  apply  to  their  stock  is  also  emi- 
nently appropriate  to  designate  the  people :  they 
are  "  cane-fed."  It  is  the  custom  to  turn  the  cat- 
tle into  the.  cane  to  feed  when  it  is  young  and 
tender,  and,  as  the  amount  of  nutriment  thus 
obtained  is  not  veiy  large,  the  "cane-fed  "  animals 
bear  about  the  same  relation  to  grain-fed  stock 
that  the  people  in  that  vicinity  bear  to  the  resident  s 
of  healthy,  prosperous,  and  educated  communities. 
The  larger  portion  of  the  population  may  be  classed 
as  "poor  whites,"  and  they  constitute  a  peculiar 
variety  of  the  human  species.  The  men  are  tall, 
loose- jointed,  and  dyspeptic  ;  they  bear  a  marked 
resemblance  to  the  vegetable  productions  of  the 
vicinity,  being  rapid  of  growth,  prolific,  and  gen- 
<  i .  illy  worthless.  Their  education  consists  mainly 
of  woodcraft  and  rifle-shooting ;  their  proficiency 
in  both  of  these  branches  is  sometimes  astonish- 
ing, and  it  is  frequently  said  of  their  most  ex- 
pert hunters  that  they  seem  to  have  been  born 
shot-gun  or  rifle  in  hand.  Accomplishments  they 
have  none,  except  the  rare  instances  where  a  few 
tunes  upon  the  banjo  have  been  learned  from  the 


18  A  DARING   EXPRESS  ROBBERY. 

negroes.  Their  tastes  are  few  and  simple, — whisky, 
snuff,  hog,  and  hominy  being  the  necessities  and 
luxuries  of  life  ;  that  is,  whisky  and  snuff  are  the 
necessities,  all  other  things  being  secondaiy  con- 
siderations. In  their  sober  moods,  they  are  frank, 
rough,  and  courageous ;  yet,  even  then,  there  is 
little  about  them  to  excite  other  feelings  than 
those  of  pity  and  aversion.  When  full  of  bad 
whisky,  however,  they  are  apt  to  become  quar- 
relsome and  brutal,  so  that  no  man  can  feel  sure 
of  his  safety  in  their  company.  An  affront,  real 
or  imaginary,  will  then  be  apt  to  cause  bloodshed, 
even  if  the  insulted  party  has  to  bushwhack  his 
enemy  from  a  secure  covert  on  the  roadside  as  he 
is  returning  to  his  home.  Every  man  goes  armed, 
and,  though  fair  fights  in  broad  daylight  are  rare, 
cold-blooded  murders  are  not  infrequent.  The 
law  is  seldom  invoked  to  settle  private  differences, 
and,  in  fact,  the  functions  of  the  legal  officials  are 
practically  very  limited  in  their  influence.  If  a 
coroner  ever  sits  upon  a  corpse,  it  is  understood 
that  he  has  done  his  whole  duty  by  recording  a 
verdict  that  ' '  the  deceased  came  to  his  death  at 
the  hands  of  some  person  or  persons  unknown." 
The  women,  like  the  men,  are  tall,  thin,  and 
round-shouldered.  Up  to  the  age  of  sixteen  they 
sometimes  are  quite  pretty,  though  sallow  and 
Lifeless  always ;  after  that  period,  they  become 
gaunt,  emaciated,  and  yellow.  Whisky  hath 
charms  for  them,  also,  but  their  favorite  dissipa- 
tion is  snuff -dipping.  They  marry  very  early  and 
bear  children  nearly  every  year,  so  that  the  size 


A  DARING  EXPRESS  ROBBERY.  19 

of  many  of  these  West  Tennessee  families  is  often 
enormous.  The  father  exercises  patriarchal  con- 
trol over  his  whole  household  until  the  daughters 
are  married  and  the  sons  old  enough  and  strong 
enough  to  defy  the  parental  authority  as  enforced 
by  a  hickory  rod.  The  wife  never  escapes  the  ap- 
plication of  this  potent  instrument  of  marital  dis- 
cipline ;  and,  indeed,  should  a  husband  fail  to 
make  frequent  use  of  it  for  the  correction  of  his 
better  hah0,  he  would  probably  soon  learn  that  his 
dutiful  spouse  could  find  a  use  for  it  on  his  own 
person. 

Throughout  this  whole  district,  the  people  suf- 
fer from  fever  and  ague  for  nine  months  of  the 
year,  and  dyspepsia  seems  hereditary.  Their  phy 
sicians,  however,  usually  require  no  further  edu- 
cation than  is  requisite  to  attend  fractured  limbs 
and  gun-shot  wounds,  the  whole  school  of  medi- 
cine being  limited  to  three  specifics :  quinine, 
calomel,  and  whisky. 

As  before  stated,  it  should  be  understood  that 
the  foregoing  description  applies  to  the  majority 
of  the  inhabitants  of  the  low  swamp  lands  only, 
and  not  to  the  residents  in  and  about  the  towns ; 
even  in  the  cane  country  itself  are  to  be  found  oc- 
casionally men  of  education,  ability,  and  good 
character,  and  to  several  of  them  William  was 
largely  indebted  for  assistance  and  i*f ormation. 

There  was  one  redeeming  feature  also  to  the 
character  of  the  "cane-fed"  population;  in  the 
main  they  were  honest,  and  they  would  do  all  in 
then-  power  to  break  up  a  thiering  gang,  even  if 


20  A  DARING   EXPKKSS   ROBBERY. 

they  had  to  hang  a  few  of  its  members  as  a  warn- 
ing to  the  rest.  I  was  thus  able  to  trust  them  to 
a  certain  extent,  though  the  fear  which  they  had 
of  this  band  of  desperadoes  rather  kept  their 
naturally  honest  impulses  in  check  for  a  time. 

William  was  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the 
character  of  the  people,  and  he  knew  what  a 
difficult  task  had  been  set  before  him,  especially 
as  he  was  allowed  no  other  detectives  of  my  force 
to  assist  him,  the  express  company  being  de- 
sirous of  conducting  the  operation  as  economically 
as  possible.  Among  the  large  number  of  men 
employed  directly  by  the  company  were  two  or 
three  good  men,  but  the  majority  were  even 
worse  than  useless,  and  the  expense  of  the  affair 
was  finally  much  greater  than  as  if  only  my  own 
men  had  been  employed.  Besides  the  fact  that 
William  was  thus  continually  working  with 
strange  men,  he  was  harassed  by  large  numbers 
of  amateur  detectives,  to  whose  stories  the  com- 
pany's officers  too  often  lent  a  ready  ear.  Indeed, 
every  express  agent  in  Tennessee,  Kentucky,  and 
Missouri  seemed  impressed  with  the  idea  that  he 
was  a  naturally  gifted  detective,  and  many  were 
the  annoying  delays  which  resulted  from  their 
interference. 


BLIND  TRAILS  AND  FALSE  SCENTS.  21 


CHAPTER  H. 

Difficulties. — Blind  Trails  and  False  Scents. — A  Scries 
of  Illustrations  showing  the  Number  of  Offictou* 
People  and  Confidence  Men  that  often  seek  Noto- 
riety and  Profit  through  important  Detective  Opera- 
tions. 

THE  art  of  detecting  crime  cannot  be  learned 
in  a  day,  nor  can  the  man  of  business  un- 
derstand, without  previous  experience  in  the  hab- 
its of  criminals,  the  expedients  which  the  boldest 
class  of  law-breakers  adopt;  hence  none  but  skilled 
detectives  can  hope  to  cope  with  them.  Yet  often 
my  clients  insist  on  some  certain  method  of  pro- 
cedure wholly  contrary  to  my  judgment  and  ex- 
perience, until  the  total  failure  of  their  plan 
convinces  them  that  there  can  be  but  one 
thoroughly  successful  mode  of  detection,  namely, 
to  submit  the  case  to  a  skilled  detective  of  char- 
acter and  standing,  and  allow  him  to  act  according 
to  his  judgment. 

The  range  of  investigation  in  such  a  case  as  this 
robbery  will  often  extend  from  New  York  to  San 
Francisco,  and  unless  one  mind  gathers  up  the 
clues,  classifies  the  information,  and  determines 
the  general  plan,  there  will  be  continual  error  and 
delay.  Such  a  state  of  affairs  frequently  occurred 
during  this  operation,  and  much  time  and  money 
were  spent  upon  matters  too  trifling  even  for  con- 
sideration. 


22  BLIND   TRAILS   AND   FALSE  SCENTS. 

The  principal  of  a  detective  agency,  from  his 
long  experience  with  criminals,  learns  the  ear- 
marks of  different  classes  of  men,  and  he  is  of  ten 
able  to  determine  the  name  of  the  guilty  party  in 
any  given  robbery  by  the  manner  in  which  the  job 
was  done.  He  can  readily  see  whether  a  novice 
in  crime  was  engaged,  and  also  whether  any  col- 
lusion existed  between  the  parties  robbed  and  the 
criminals;  and  so,  when  he  sees  the  traces  of  a 
bold,  skillful,  and  experienced  man,  he  knows  that 
it  is  useless  to  track  down  some  insignificant 
sneak-thief,  simply  because  the  latter  happens  to 
have  been  in  the  vicinity.  Yet,  neither  will  he 
slight  the  smallest  clue  if  there  is  a  bare  chance 
that  any  valuable  fact  may  be  obtained  from  it. 
But  the  sine  qud  non  is  that  he,  and  he  alone, 
shall  direct  the  whole  affair.  A  divided  responsi- 
bility simply  doubles  the  criminal's  opportunities 
for  escape. 

Among  the  many  difficulties  of  the  detective's 
work,  none  are  more  embarrassing  than  the  early 
development  of  false  clues.  In  the  stories  here- 
tofore published,  the  direct  steps  leading  to  the 
detection  and  arrest  of  the  criminals  have  b<rn 
related,  without  referring  to  the  innumerabJe 
other  investigations,  which  were  progressing  sim- 
ultaneously, and  which,  though  involving  the 
expenditure  of  much  thought,  time,  and  money, 
proved  after  all  to  be  of  no  value  whatever  in 
developing  any  evidence  in  the  case.  In  this 
operation,  such  instances  were  of  frequent  occur- 
rence, and  I  propose  to  mention  a  few  of  them  to 


BLIND   TRAILS   AND   FALSE   SCENTS.  23 

show  how  wide  is  the  range  of  the  detective's 
inquiries,  and  also  the  annoying  delays  to  which 
lie  is  often  subjected  by  the  inconsiderate  zeal 
and  interference  of  outside  parties.  "  These  latter 
may  be — indeed,  they  generally  are — well  mean- 
ing people,  anxious  to  serve  the  cause  of  justice; 
though,  on  the  other  hand,  they  are  sometimes 
spiteful  meddlers,  striving  to  fix  suspicion  upon 
some  personal  enemy. 

The  plan  of  detection  which  alone  can  insure 
success,  must  be  one  which  neither  forgets  nor 
neglects  anything.  In  investigating  any  alleged 
crime>  the  first  questions  to  be  considered  are: 
1.  Has  any  crime  been  perpetrated,  and,  if  so, 
what?  2.  What  was  the  object  sought  thereby? 

The  matter  of  tune,  place,  and  means  employed 
must  then  be  carefully  noted,  and  finally  we  come 
to  consider:  1.  Who  are  the  criminals?  2.  Where 
are  they  now?  3.  How  can  they  be  taken? 

The  fact  that  a  crime  has  been  committed  is 
generally  apparent,  though  there  have  been 
cases  in  which  the  determination  of  that  point  re- 
quires as  much  skill  as  the  whole  remainder  of 
the  operation.  Such  was  the  case  in  the  detec- 
tion of  Mrs.  Pattmore's  murder,  related  in  my 
story  of  ' '  The  Murderer  and  the  Fortune  Teller. " 
The  object  of  a  crime  is  also  sometimes  obscure, 
and,  where  such  are  the  circumstances,  the  de- 
tection of  the  criminal  is  apt  to  be  one  of  the  most 
difficult  of  all  operations.  Having  once  solved 
these  two  difficulties  satisfactorily,  however,  and 
having  observed  the  relative  bearings  of  time, 


24  BLIND  TRAILS  AND  FALSE  SCENTS. 

place,  and  means  to  the  crime  itself,  the  question 
of  individuals  is  the  important  one  to  be  deter- 
mined. It  often  happens  that  there  is  no  conceal- 
ment of  identity,  the  problem  to  be  solved  being 
simply  the  way  to  catch  the  guilty  parties;  but, 
on  the  other  hand,  the  greatest  skill,  experience, 
patience,  and  perseverance  are  sometimes  required 
to  discover,  first  of  all,  the  persons  engaged  in  the 
crime.  Indeed,  an  operation  is  often  divisible 
into  two  distinct  methods  of  action,  the  first  being 
to  find  out  the  identity  of  the  criminals,  the  sec- 
ond to  follow  up  and  capture  them. 

In  the  course  of  a  blind  trail,  such  as  we  were 
obliged  to  travel  in  the  case  of  this  express  rob- 
bery, it  was  impossible  to  know  whence  the  men 
had  come  or  whither  they  had  gone ;  hence,  I 
was  forced  to  take  up  every  trifling  clue  and  fol- 
low it  to  the  end.  Even  after  I  was  satisfied  in 
my  own  mind  of  the  identity  of  the  criminals,  tho 
agents  and  officers  of  the  express  company  were 
continually  finding  mares'  nests  which  they 
wished  investigated,  and  the  operation  was  some- 
times greatly  hindered  on  this  account.  As  an 
example  of  the  number  of  discouragements  which 
the  detective  must  always  expect  to  encounter,  I 
propose  to  mention  some  of  the  false  scents  which 
we  were  forced  to  follow  during  this  operation. 

Three  or  four  days  after  William's  arrival  in 
Union  City,  he  was  informed  by  the  superin- 
tendent of  the  express  company  having  charge 
of  the  operation,  that  there  was  a  young  man  in 
Moscow  who  could  give  important  information 


BLIND  TRAILS  AND  FALSE  SCENTS.  25 

relative  to  the  first  robbery  at  that  place.  This 
young  man,  Thomas  Carr  by  name,  was  a  lawyer 
who  had  once  had  fine  prospects,  but  he  had  be- 
come very  dissipated,  and  he  finally  had  been  taken 
seriously  ill,  so  that  he  had  lost  his  practice.  On 
recovering  his  health  he  had  reformed  his  habits, 
but  he  had  found  great  difficulty  in  winning  back 
clients,  and  his  income  was  hardly  enough  to 
support  him.  On  learning  that  this  impecuni- 
ous lawyer  had  valuable  information,  William 
strongly  suspected  that  it  would  amount  to  little 
more  than  a  good  lie,  invented  to  obtain  money 
from  the  express  Company;  nevertheless,  he  sent 
for  the  young  man  and  heard  his  story. 

According  to  Carr,  a  man  named  John  Wither- 
spoon  had  visited  him  about  six  weeks  before, 
and  had  asked  him  whether  he  would  like  to  get 
a  large  sum  of  money.  Carr  replied  affirmatively, 
of  course,  and  wished  to  know  how  it  could  .be 
obtained.  Witherspoon  had  said  that  the  express 
company  could  be  robbed  very  easily  by  boarding 
a  train  at  any  water-tank,  overpowering  the  mes- 
senger, and  making  him  open  the  safe.  Wither- 
Bpoon  also  had  said  that  he  and  several  others 
had  robbed  a  train  at  Moscow  some  weeks  before, 
and  that  they  had  got  only  sixteen  hundred  dol- 
lars, but  that  they  should  do  better  next  time. 
He  had  asked  Carr  to  go  to  Cairo  and  find  out 
when  there  would  be  a  large  shipment  of  money 
to  the  South;  then  Carr  was  to  take  the  same 
1  i-a in  and  give  a  signal  to  the  rest  of  the  party  on 
arriving  at  the  designated  spot. 
a 


26  BLIND   TRAILS   AND   FALSE   SCENTS. 

On  hearing  Carr's  story,  William  sent  him 
to  Moscow  with  instructions  to  renew  his  inti- 
macy with  Witherspoon,  and  to  report  any  n< 
he  might  learn  at  once;  in  case  it  should  prove 
to  be  of  any  value,  the  company  would  pay  him 
well  for  his  services.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  add 
that  Mr.  Cajjr,  having  failed  to  get,  as  he  had 
hoped,  a  roving  commission  as  detective  at  the 
company's  expense,  was  not  heard  from  again, 
his  bonanza  of  news  having  run  out  very  quickly 
on  discovering  that  no  money  was  to  be  paid  in 
advance. 

The  next  case  was  a  more  plausible  one,  and 
William  began  its  investigation  with  the  feeling 
that  something  might  be  developed  therefrom. 
It  was  learned  that  a  former  express  messenger 
named  Robert  Trunnion,  who  had  been  dis- 
charged several  months  before,  had  been  hanging 
around  Columbus,  Kentucky,  ever  since.  While 
in  conversation  with  the  clerk  of  a  second-class 
hotel,  Trunnion  had  spoken  of  the  ease  with 
which  a  few  determined  men  could  board  an  ex- 
press car,  throw  a  blanket  over  the  messenger's 
head,  and  then  rob  the  safe.  The  clerk  said  that 
Trunnion  had  made  the  suggestion  to  him  twice, 
and  the  second  time  he  had  given  Trunnion  a 
piece  of  his  mind  for  making  such  a  proposition. 
Trunnion  had  then  said  he  was  only  fooling,  and 
that  he  did  not  mean  anything  by  it.  William 
learned  that  Trunnion  was  then  engaged  in  selling 
trees  for  a  nursery  at  Clinton,  Kentucky,  and  that 
he  was  regarded  as  a  half -cracked,  boasting  fool, 


BUND  TRAILS  AND  FALSE  SCENTS.  27 

who  might  he  anything  bad,  if  he  were  influenced 
by  bold,  unscrupulous  men.  William  therefore 
paid  a  visit  to  Mr.  Trumiion,  whom  he  found  to 
be  a  very  high-toned  youth,  too  fiery -tempered 
and  sensitive  to  submit  to  any  questioning  as  to 
his  words  or  actions.  In  a  very  brief  space  ol: 
time,  however,  his  lordly  tone  came  down  to  a 
very  humble  acknowledgment  that  he  had  used 
the  language  attributed  to  him;  but  he  protested 
that  he  had  meant  nothing;  in  short,  his  confes- 
sion was  not  only  complete,  but  exceedingly 
candid;  he  admitted  that  he  was  a  gas-bag  and  a 
fool,  without  discretion  enough  to  keep  his  tongue 
from  getting  him  into  trouble  continually;  and, 
having  clearly  shown  that  he  was  nowhere  in  the 
vicinity  of  either  robbery,  he  asked  humbly  not 
to  be  held  responsible  for  being  a  born  idiot. 
William  was  satisfied  that  the  fellow  had  told 
the  truth,  and,  after  scaring  him  out  of  all  his 
high-toned  pride,  he  let  him  go,  with  a  severe 
lecture  on  the  danger  of  talking  too  much. 

On  the  nineteenth  of  November,  when  the  iden- 
tity of  the  robbers  had  been  fully  established, 
William  was  called  away  to  luka,  Mississippi,  on 
information  received  from  Mr.  O'Brien,  the  gen- 
eral superintendent  of  the  express  company,  that 
a  man  named  Santon  had  seen  the  leader  of  the 
party  in  that  place,  jjst  a  week  before.  Santon 
represented  that  he  knew  the  man  well,  having 
IK  rn  acquainted  with  him  for  years  in  Cairo,  and 
that  he  could  not  be  mistaken,  as  he  had  spokon 
with  him  on  the  day  mentioned.  William  found 


28  BLIND   TRAILS  AND   FALSE   SCENTS. 

that  the  man  Santon  was  a  natural  liar,  who  could 
not  tell  the  truth  even  when  it  was  for  his  inter- 
est to  do  so.  The  descriptions  of  the  various  rob- 
bers had  been  scattered  Broadcast  everywhere, 
and  none  of  them  were  represented  as  over  thirty- 
five  years  of  age;  yet  Santon  said  that  his  man 
was  over  fifty  years  old,  and  that  he  had  been  a 
pilot  on  the  Mississippi  for  years.  This  was  a 
case — not  an  infrequent  one,  either — where  peo- 
ple talk  and  lie  about  a  crime  for  the  sole  purpose 
of  getting  a  little  temporary  notoriety.  Owing  to 
various  accidents  and  railway  detentions,  Wil- 
liam lost  three  days  in  going  to  hunt  up  this  lying 
fellow's  testimony. 

Perhaps  the  most  impudent  of  all  the  stories 
brought  to  the  express  company's  officers  was 
that  of  a  man  named  Swing,  living  at  Columbus, 
Kentucky.  He  sent  a  friend  to  Union  City  to  tell 
them  that  he  could  give  them  a  valuable  clue  to 
the  identity  of  the  robbers,  and  William  accom- 
panied this  friend  back  to  Columbus.  On  the 
way,  William  drew  out  all  that  Swing's  friend 
knew  about  the  matter,  and  satisfied  himself 
that  Swing's  sole  object  in  sending  word  to  the 
officers  of  the  company  was  to  get  them  to  do  a 
piece  of  detective  work  for  him.  It  appeared  that 
his  nephew  had  stolen  one  of  his  horses  just  after 
the  robbery,  and  he  intended  to  tell  the  company's 
officers  that  this  nephew  had  been  engaged  in  tho 
robbery;  then  if  the  company  captured  the 
nephew,  Swing  hoped  to  get  back  his  horse.  A 
truly  brilliant  scheme  it  was,  but,  unfortunately 


BLIND  TRAILS   AND    FALSE   SCENTS.  W 

for  his  expectations,  William  could  not  be  misled 
by  his  plausible  story;  and,  if  he  ever  recovered 
his  horse,  he  did  so  without  the  assistance  of  the 
express  company.  Nevertheless,  he  took  Wil- 
liam away  from  his  work  for  nearly  a  whole  day, 
at  a  time  when  his  presence  was  almost  indis- 
pensable. 

Another  peculiar  phase  of  a  detective's  experi- 
ence is,  that  while  following  up  one  set  of  crim- 
inals, he  may  accidentally  unearth  the  evidences 
of  some  other  crime;  occasionally  it  happens  that 
he  is  able  to  arrest  the  criminals  thus  unexpect- 
edly discovered,  but  too  often  they  take  the  alarm 
and  escape  before  the  interested  parties  can  be  put 
in  possession  of  the  facts.  About  two  weeks  after 
the  Union  City  robbery,  in  the  course  of  my  ex- 
tended inquiries  by  telegraph,  I  came  across  a 
pair  of  suspicious  characters  in  Kansas  City,  Mis- 
souri. I  learned  that  two  fine-looking  women 
had  arrived  in  that  city  with  about  eight  thousand 
dollars  in  five,  ten,  and  twenty  dollar  bills,  which 
they  were  trying  to  exchange  for  bills  of  a  larger 
denomination.  The  women  were  well  dressed, 
but  they  were  evidently  of  loose  character,  and 
the  possession  of  so  much  money  by  two  females 
of  that  class  excited  suspicion  instantly  in  the 
minds  of  the  bankers  to  whom  they  applied,  and 
they  could  not  make  the  desired  exchange.  One 
of  the  women  was  a  blonde  and  the  other  was  a 
brunette.  They  were  about  of  the  same  height, 
and  they  dressed  in  such  marked  contrast  as  to 
set  each  other  off  to  the  best  advantage;  i 


30  BLIND  TRAILS  -AND  FALSE  SCENTS. 

their  dresses  seemed  to  have  attracted  so  much 
attention  that  I  could  gain  very  little  acquaintance 
with  their  personal  appearance.  I  could  not  con- 
nect them  in  any  way  with  the  robbery  at  Union 
City,  nor  with  any  other  recent  crime,  though  1 
had  little  doubt  that  the  money  they  had  with 
them  was  the  proceeds  of  some  criminal  transac- 
tion; still,  having  my  hands  full  at  that  time,  it 
would  have  been  impossible  for  me  to  look  after 
them,  even  had  I  thought  best  to  do  so.  As  it  is  my 
practice  to  undertake  investigations  only  when 
engaged  for  the  purpose  by  some  responsible  per- 
son, I  did  not  waste  any  time  in  endeavoring  to 
discover  the  source  whence  these  women  obtained 
their  money;  though,  of  course,  had  I  learned 
enough  about  them  to  suspect  them  of  complicity 
in  any  specific  crime,  I  should  have  reported  my 
suspicions  to  the  parties  interested,  to  enable  them 
to  take  such  action  as  they  might  have  seen  fit. 

The  most  important  of  all  the  false  clues 
brought  out  in  this  investigation  was  presented 
by  a  noted  confidence  man  and  horse-thief  named 
Charles  Lavalle,  alias  Hildebrand.  I  call  it  the 
most  important,  not  because  I  considered  it  of  any 
value  at  the  time,  but  because  it  illustrates  one  of 
the  most  profitable  forms  of  confidence  operation, 
and  because  the  express  company,  by  refusing  to 
accept  my  advice  in  the  matter,  were  put  to  a 
large  expense  with  no  possibility  of  a  return. 

Very  shortly  after  the  Union  City  robbery,  a 
letter  was  received  from  a  man  in  Kansas  City, 
calling  himself  Charles  Lavalle.  The  writer 


BLIND  TliAILS  AND  FALSE  SCENTS.  31 

claimed  that  he  had  been  with  the  gang  who  had 
robbed  the  train,  but  that  they  had  refused  to 
divide  with  him,  and  so,  out  of  revenge,  he  was 
anxious  to  bring  them  to  punishment.  He  claimed 
further  that  he  was  then  in  the  confidence  of  an- 
other party,  who  were  soon  going  to  make  another 
raid  upon  the  express  company  somewhere  be- 
tween New  Orleans  and  Mobile. 

The  plausibility  of  his  story  was  such  that  he 
obtained  quite  a  large  sum  from  the  express 
company  to  enable  him  to  follow  up  and  re- 
main with  the  gang  of  thieves  with  whom 
he  professed  to  be  associated.  No  news  was 
received  from  him,  however,  and  at  length 
I  was  requested  to  put  a  "shadow"  upon 
his  track.  My  operative  followed  him  to 
St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  and  thence  to  Quincy,  Illi- 
nois, but,  during  two  weeks  of  close  investigation, 
no  trace  of  the  villains  in  Lavalle's  company  could 
be  found,  and  he  was  never  seen  in  the  society  of 
any  known  burglars  or  thieves.  It  was  soon  evi- 
dent that  he  was  playing  upon  the  express  com- 
pany a  well-worn  confidence  game,  which  has 
been  attempted  probably  eveiy  time  a  large  rob- 
bery has  occurred  in  the  last  fifteen  years.  He 
became  very  importunate  for  more  money  while 
in  Quincy,  as  he  stated  that  the  gang  to  which 
he  belonged  were  ready  to  start  for  New  Orleans; 
but,  finding  that  his  appeals  were  useless,  and 
that  no  more  money  would  be  advanced  until 
some  of  his  party  were  actually  discovered  and 
trapped  through  his  agf>ncy,*he  soon  ceased  writ- 
insr, 


MYSTERIOUS  MERCHANTS. 

The  foregoing  are  only  a  few  of  the  insfanoeg 
in  which  our  attention  was  diverted  from  the 
real  criminals;  and,  although  the  efforts  of  my 
operatives  were  rarely  misdirected  in  any  one  af- 
fair for  any  length  of  time,  still  these  false  alarms 
were  always  a  source  of  great  annoyance  and  em- 
barrassment. 


CHAPTER  III. 

"Old  Hicks"  a  drunken  Planter,  is  entertained  by  a 
Hunting-party. — Lester's  Landing. — Its  Groc<  /•//- 
store  and  Mysterious  Merchants. — A  d<nif/;i-<ins 
Situation  and  a  desperate  Encounter. — The  unfor- 
tunate Escape  of  Two  of  the  Robbers. 

ONE  of  the  most  direct  sources  of  information 
relative  to  the  party  was  found  in  the  per- 
son of  an  old  planter,  named  Hicks,  who  lived 
some  distance  down  the  track  of  the  railroad.  He 
was  in  the  habit  of  visiting  Union  City  very  fre- 
quently, and  he  usually  rounded  off  his  day's 
pleasure  by  becoming  jovially  drunk,  in  which 
condition  he  would  start  for  his  home,  walking 
down  the  railroad  track.  He  had  been  in  Union 
City  all  of  Friday  before  the  robbery,  and  about 
ten  o'clock  in  the  evening  he  was  in  a  state  of 
happy  inebriety,  ready  to  "hail  fellow,  well  met," 
with  any  person  he  might  encounter. 

On  his  way  home,  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile 
west  of  Union  City,  tie  saw  a  camp-fire  bui  ning  a 


MYSTERIOUS  MERCHANTS.  3ft 

short  distance  from  the  track,  and  around  it  w*  re 
gathered  five  men.  They  hailed  him,  and  asked 
him  to  take  a  drink  ;  and  as  this  was  an  invitation 
which  Hicks  could  not  refuse,  even  from  the  devil 
himself,  he  joined  them,  drank  with  them,  and 
danced  a  hornpipe  for  their  edification.  Hicks 
acknowledged  in  his  account  of  meeting  them,  that 
by  the  time  they  had  made  him  dance  for  thein> 
he  was  heartily  frightened  at  their  looks  and  talk. 
He  heard  one  of  them  say  that  they  wanted  ten 
thousand  at  least,  but  he  could  not  tell  what  the 
remark  referred  to.  He  asked  them  why  they 
were  camping  out,  and  one,  who  seemed  to  be  the 
leader  of  the  party,  said  they  were  out  hunting. 

1  'Yes,"  continued  another  one,  "  I  am  out  hunt- 
ing for  somebody's  girl,  and  when  I  find  her  we 
are  going  to  run  away  together." 

At  this,  they  all  laughed,  as  if  there  was  some 
hidden  meaning  in  his  words. 

Hicks  described  all  of  the  men,  three  of  them 
quite  minutely  ;  but  the  fourth  was  evidently  the 
same  as  the  second,  and  the  fifth  was  lying  down 
asleep  all  the  time,  so  that  Hicks  could  not  tell 
much  about  him.  They  were  armed  with  large 
navy  revolvers,  which  they  wore  in  belts,  and 
their  clothing  was  quite  good.  The  tall  man,  who 
seemed  to  be  the  leader,  related  an  account  of  a 
deer-hunt  in  which  he  had  participated,  in  Fay- 
ette  county,  Illinois,  on  the  Kaskaskia  river,  and 
when,  lie  mentioned  the  place,  the  others  scowled 
and  winked  ;ii  him,  as  if  to  stop  him.  Hick^  said 
that  the\  s.vmed  to  IK-  familiar  with  Cincinnati. 


34:  MYSTERIOUS  MERCHANTS. 

Louisville,  Evansville,  and  other  northern  citie^ 
and  that  they  talked  somewhat  like  Yankees. 
He  remained  with  them  until  about  midnight, 
when  a  negro  came  down  the  track.  Hicks  and 
the  negro  then  went  on  together  to  Hicks's  house, 
leaving  the  five  men  still  camped  in  the  woods. 

Other  persons  reported  having  seen  the  same 
party  in  the  same  vicinity  several  times  before 
the  night  of  the  robbery,  though  some  had  seen 
only  two,  others  three  and  four  ;  but  no  one,  ex- 
cept Hicks,  had  seen  five.  The  accounts  given  by 
the  persons  near  the  train  when  the  robbery  oc- 
curred did  not  show  the  presence  of  more  than 
three  persons,  though  possibly  there  might  have 
been  a  fourth.  The  descriptions  of  the  suspected 
parties  were  quite  varied  in  some  respects  ;  yet 
the  general  tenor  of  them  was  to  the  same  effect, 
and,  as  no  one  knew  who  these  persons  were,  it 
was  quite  certain  that  this  quartette  of  strangers 
had  committed  the  robbery. 

In  the  case  of  the  Moscow  robbery,  we  had 
strongly  suspected  two  notorious  thieves,  named 
Jack  Nelson  and  Miles  Ogle,  so  that  my  first  ac- 
tion, on  learning  of  this  second  affair  in  the  same 
vicinity,  was  to  telegraph  to  my  correspondents 
and  agents  throughout  the  country,  to  leam 
whether  either  of  these  men  had  been  seen  lately. 
I  could  gain  no  news  whatever,  except  from  St. 
Louis,  whence  an  answer  was  returned  to  the 
effect  that  Nelson  was  said  to  be  stopping  some- 
where in  the  country  back  of  Hickman,  Kon- 
tucky.  Ogle's  wife  was  in  St.  Louis,  and  she  hud 


MYSTERIOUS   A1KKCI1ANTS.  35 

been  seen  by  a  detective  walking  and  talking  earn 
estly  with  a  strange  man  a  short  time  previous. 
The  information  about  Nelson  was  important, 
since,  if  true,  it  showed  that  he  was  in  the  imme- 
diate neighborhood  of  the  points  where  the  rob- 
beries had  occurred.  The  man  seen  with  Mrs. 
Ogle  might  have  been  one  of  the  party,  sent  by 
her  husband  to  appoint  a  future  rendezvous.  The 
description  of  the  tall,  dark  man,  mentioned  by 
Hicks  and  others,  tallied  very  closely  with  Ogle's 
appearance.  My  son,  William,  was  well  advised 
of  these  facts,  and,  as  soon  as  he  had  obtained  the 
statements  of  every  one  acquainted  with  any  of 
the  occurrences  at  the  time  of  the  robbery,  he  was 
ready  for  action. 

His  first  inquiries  were  directed  toward  discov- 
ering where  Nelson  was  staying  near  Hickman, 
and  he  learned  in  a  very  short  time  that  this  ru- 
mor had  no  truth  in  it.  While  making  search  for 
Nelson,  however,  he  heard  of  a  low  grocery-store 
at  Lester's  Landing,  about  twelve  miles  below 
Hickman  on  the  Mississippi  River.  The  store 
was  situated  four  miles  from  any  other  house  in 
a  sparsely  settled  countiy,  where  the  amount  of 
legitimate  trade  would  hardly  amount  to  twelve 
hundred  dollars  per  year.  It  was  said  to  be  the 
resort  of  a  very  low  class  of  men,  and  the  propri- 
dors  passed  for  river  gamblers. 

On  William's  ret  urn  to  Union  City  from  Hick 
man,  lie  derided  to  mak«-  a  visit  to  this  grocery- 
store  to  learn  something  about  the  men  who  1're- 
it.      Havin      noi I'  liis  <>\\n   m«-n  with 


36  MYSTERIOUS  MERCHANTS. 

him,  he  chose  one  of  the  express  company's  de- 
tectives, named  Patrick  Connell,  to  accompany 
him,  and,  on  the  last  day  of  October,  they  star-led 
on  horseback,  with  an  old  resident  named  Bledsoe 
for  a  guide.  On  arriving  at  the  house  of  a  well-to- 
do  planter,  named  Wilson  Merrick,  they  obtained 
considerable  information  about  the  men  who  kept 
the  store  and  the  people  who  visited  it. 

Mr.  Merrick  said  that  a  man  named  John  Wes- 
ley Lester  kept  a  wood-yard  on  the  Mississippi, 
and  the  spot  was  called  Lester's  Landing.  About 
three  or  four  months  before,  three  men  arrived 
there  and  obtained  leave  from  Lester  to  put  up  a 
store,  which  they  stocked  with  groceries  and 
whisky.  The  men  gave  their  names  as  J.  H. 
Clark,  Ed.  J.  Russell,  and  William  Barton,  and 
they  seemed  to  have  some  means,  as  the  store 
did  only  a  limfted  business,  except  in  whisky. 
They  were  all  men  of  ability  and  determination, 
and,  as  they  were  always  well  armed,  the  people 
of  the  cane-brake  country  were  rather  afraid  of 
them.  Nothing  positive  was  known  against 
them,  but  it  was  suspected  from  their  looks  and 
actions  that  they  were  Northern  desperadoes  lying 
quiet  for  a  time.  They  seemed  to  be  well  ac- 
quainted in  Cincinnati,  Louisville,  St.  Louis, 
Memphis,  Vicksburg,  and  New  Orleans,  but  they 
were  careful  never  to  give  any  hint  of  their  pre- 
vious place  of  residence  in  the  hearing  of  stran- 
gers. Mr.  Merrick  had,  however,  heard  Russell 
say  that  he  had  once  run  a  stationary  engine  in 
Missouri,  and  from  occasional  expressions  by 


MYSTERIOUS   MERCHANTS.  37 

Barton  it  would  appear  that  the  latter  had  onco 
worked  on  a  railroad  in  some  capacity.  They 
dressed  quite  well,  and  treated  strangers  politely, 
though  not  cordially.  Although  they  were  all 
three  rather  hard  drinkers,  they  never  became 
intoxicated,  and  they  seemed  to  understand  each 
other  well  enough  not  to  quarrel  among  them- 
selves. Clark  was  the  oldest  of  the  party,  hut 
Eussell  seemed  to  be  the  leader,  Barton  being  ap- 
parently quite  a  young  man.  They  stated  that 
they  intended  to  exchange  groceries  for  fish  and 
game,  and  ship  the  latter  articles  to  St.  Louis 
and  Memphis. 

From  the  description  of  the  men,  William  be- 
gan to  suspect  that  they  formed  a  portion  of  the 
party  of  robbers,  and  he  determined  to  push  on 
at  once.  He  induced  a  young  man  named  Gor- 
don to  go  with  him  as  guide  and  to  assist  in  mak- 
ing the  arrest  of  these  men,  if  he  should  deem  it 
advisable.  By  hard  riding  they  succeeded  in 
reaching  Lester's  Landing  before  nightfall,  but 
the  twilight  was  fast  fading  as  they  came  out  of 
the  dense  underbrush  and  cane-brake  into  the 
clearing  around  Lester's  log-cabin. 

The  spot  was  dreary  and  forlorn  in  the  extreme. 
The  river  was  then  nearly  at  low  water,  and  its 
muddy  current  skirted  one  side  of  the  clearing  at 
a  distance  of  about  thirty  yards  from  the  house. 
The  wood-yard  and  landing  at  the  water's  level 
were  some  ten  or  fifteen  feet  below  the  rising 
ground  u i ton  which  the  house  stood.  Thestoiv 
was  n  shanty  of  rough  pine  boards  with  one  door 


38  MYSTERIOUS   MERCHANTS. 

aiid  one  window,  and  it  stood  at  the  head  of  lh* 
diagonal  path  leading  from  the  landing  to  the  high 
ground.  A  short  distance  back  was  a  rail  fence 
surrounding  Lester's  house  and  corn-field,  and 
back  of  this  clearing,  about  one  hundred  yards 
from  the  house,  was  a  dense  cane-brake.  The 
corn-stalks  had  never  been  cut,  and,  as  they  grew 
very  high  and  thick  within  twenty  feet  of  the 
house,  they  offered  a  good  cover  to  any  one  ap- 
proaching or  retreating  through  them.  A  rough 
log  barn  stood  a  short  distance  inside  the  rail 
fence,  and,  like  the  house,  it  was  raised  severa1 
feet  above  the  ground,  on  account  of  the  annua* 
overflow  of  the  whole  tract.  The  house  was  a 
rather  large  building  built  of  logs,  the  chinks  be- 
ing partly  filled  with  mud,  but  it  was  in  a  dilapi- 
dated condition,  the  roof  being  leaky  and  the 
sides  partly  open,  where  the  mud  had  fallen  out 
from  between  the  timbers. 

On  entering  the  clearing,  William's  party  rode 
up  to  the  store  and  tried  to  enter,  but,  finding 
the  door  locked,  they  approached  the  house.  At 
the  rail  fence,  William  and  Connell  dismounted, 
leaving  Gordon  and  Bledsoe  to  hold  their  horses. 
Up  to  this  time,  they  had  seen  no  signs  of  life 
about  the  place,  and  they  began  to  think  that  the 
birds  had  flown.  The  quiet  and  the  absence  of  men 
about  the  clearing  did  not  prevent  William  from 
I'xoi-cisiiii:;  his  usual  caution  in  approaching  the 
house;  but  he  did  consider  it  unnecessary  to  take 
any  stronger  force  into  an  apparently  unoccupied 
log-cabin,  where  at  most  he  had  only  vague  sus 


MYSTERIOUS  MERCHANTS.  39 

picions  of  finding  the  objects  of  his  search; 
hence,  he  left  Gordon  and  Bledsoe  behind.  Know- 
ing the  general  construction  of  this  class  of 
houses  to  be  the  same,  he  sent  Connell  to  the  rear, 
while  he  entered  the  front  door.  A  wide  hall  d-i 
vided  the  house  through  the  center,  and  the  occu- 
pants of  the  house  were  in  the  room  on  the  right. 
William's  door  leading  into  the  room  opened 
from  this  hall,  while  Connell's  was  a  direct  en- 
trance from  the  back  porch,  and  there  were  no 
other  doors  to  the  room. 

As  the  two  strangers  entered  simultaneously, 
five  men,  a  woman,  and  a  girl  started  to  their 
feet  and  demanded  what  they  wanted.  The 
situation  was  evidently  one  of  great  danger  to 
the  detectives  ;  one  glance  at  the  men,  coupled 
with  the  fierce  tones  of  their  inquiries,  showed 
William  that  he  had  entered  a  den  of  snakes 
without  adequate  force ;  but  it  was  too  late  to 
retreat,  and  he  replied  that  they  were  strangers 
who,  having  lost  their  way,  desired  information. 

The  scene  was  a  striking  one,  and  it  remains  as 
vividly  in  William's  mind  to-day,  as  if  it  had 
occurred  but  yesterday.  In  the  center  of  th  - 
room,  opposite  him,  was  a  broad  fireplace,  in 
which  the  smouldering  logs  feebly  burned  and 
gave  forth  the  only  light  in  the  room.  In  one 
corner  stood  several  shot-guns,  and  in  another, 
four  or  five  heavy  axes.  Grouped  about  near 
the  fire,  in  different  attitudes  of  snrprise,  defiance, 
and  alarm,  were  the  occupants  of  tin4  cabin, 
while  to  tho  left,  in  the  half-open  door  stood 


40  MYSTERIOUS   MERCHANTS. 

Connell.  The  flickering  flame  of  the  inUen  wood 
gave  a  most  unsatisfactory  light,  in  which  they 
all  seemed  nearly  as  dark  as  negroes,  so  that 
William  asked  the  woman  to  light  a  candle.  She 
replied  that  they  had  none,  and  at  the  same 
moment  a  young  fellow  tried  to  slip  by  Connell, 
but  he  was  promptly  stopped.  Another  la' 
powerful  man,  whose  name  afterward  proved  to 
be  Burtine,  again  demanded,  with  several  oaths, 
what  their  business  was. 

"  I've  told  you  once  that  I  want  some  informa- 
tion," replied  William,  "and  now  I  intend  to 
have  you  stop  here  until  I  can  take  a  look  at  your 
faces." 

WTiile  William  was  making  them  stand  up  in 
line  against  the  wall,  one  of  the  largest  drew  a 
navy  revolver  quickly  and  fired  straight  at 
William's  stomach,  the  ball  just  cutting  the  flesh 
on  his  left  side.  At  the  same  instant,  the  young 
fellow  previously  mentioned,  darted  out  the  door, 
Connell  having  sprang  to  William's  side,  thinking 
him  seriously  wounded.  ConnelTs  approach  pre- 
vented William  from  returning  the  fire  of  the 
tall  man,  who  had  jumped  for  the  door  also  the 
moment  he  had  fired.  William  fired  two  shots 
at  him  through  the  doorway,  and  Connell  followed 
hmi  instantly,  on  seeing  that  William  was  un- 
hurt. Once  outside,  the  tall  fellow  sprang  behind 
a  large  cottonwood  tree  and  fired  back  at  Connell 
and  William,  who  were  in  full  view  on  the  porrh. 
The  second  shot  struck  Council  in  the  pit  of  t  he 
stomach,  and  ho  fell  backward.  At  this  monu  at. 


MYSTERIOUS  MERCHANTS.  41 

the  powerful  ruffian,  Burtine,  seized  William 
from  behind  and  tried  to  drag  him  down,  at  the 
same  time  calling  for  a  shot-gun  "to  finish  the 

Yankee — ."    Turning  suddenly  upon 

his  assailant,  William  raised  his  revolver,  a  heavy 
Tranter,  and  brought  it  down  twice,  with  all  his 
force,  upon  Burtine's  head.  The  man  staggered 
at  the  first  blow  and  fell  at  the  second,  so  that, 
by  leveling  his  revolver  at  the  other  two,  William 
was  able  to  cow  them  into  submission.  The 
affray  had  passed  so  quickly  that  it  was  wholly 
over  before  Gordon  and  Bledsoe  could  reach  the 
house,  though  they  had  sprung  from  their  horses 
on  hearing  the  first  shot. 

The  two  men  had  escaped  by  this  time  into  the 
dense  cane-brake  back  of  the  house,  and  it  was 
necessary  to  attend  to  those  who  had  been  se- 
cured, and  to  examine  the  injuries  of  Connell  and 
Burtine.  The  latter's  head  was  in  a  pretty  bad 
condition,  though  no  serious  results  were  likely 
to  follow,  while  Connell  had  escaped  a  mortal 
wound  by  the  merest  hair's  breadth.  He  was 
dressed  in  a  heavy  suit  of  Kentucky  jeans,  with 
large  iron  buttons  down  the  front  of  the  coat. 
The  ball  had  struck  one  of  these  buttons,  and,  in- 
stead of  passing  straight  through  his  vitals,  it  had 
glanced  around  his  side,  cutting  a  deep  flesh  fur- 
row nearly  to  the  small  of  his  back,  where  it  had 
gone  out.  The  shock  of  the  blow  had  stunned 
him  somewhat,  the  button  having  been  forced 
edgewise  some  distance  into  the  flesh,  but  his 
wound  was  very  trifling,  and  he  was  able  to  go 


42  MYSTERIOUS  MERCHANTS. 

on  with  the  search  with  very  little  inconvenience. 
Having  captured  three  out  of  the  five  inmates  of 
the  cabin,  William  felt  as  though  ho  had  done  as 
much  as  could  have  been  expected  of  two  men 
under  such  circumstances,  and  he  then  began  a 
search  of  the  premises  to  see  whether  any  evi- 
dence of  their  connection  with  the  robbery  could 
be  found.  Absolutely  no  clue  whatever  was  ob- 
tained in  the  cabin  and  barn,  nor  did  the  store 
afford  any  better  results  so  far  as  the  robbery  was 
concerned,  but  on  this  point  William  was  already 
satisfied,  and  he  was  anxious  to  get  all  informa- 
tion possible  about  these  so-called  storekeepers. 
In  the  store,  he  found  bills  and  invoices  showing 
that  the  stock  of  goods  had  been  purchased  in 
Evansville,  but  there  was  no  other  writing  of  any 
character  except  some  scribbling,  apparently  done 
in  an  idle  moment,  upon  some  fragments  of 
paper  in  a  drawer.  On  one  was  written:  "Mrs. 
Kate  Graham,  Farmington,  111.";  and  on  another, 
amid  many  repetitions  of  the  name,  "  Kate  Gra- 
ham," were  the  words,  "My  dear  cousin." 

Having  found  very  little  of  value,  the  party  ro 
turned  to  the  three  prisoners  and  closely  exam- 
ined them.  To  William's  intense  chagrin,  he 
found  that  these  men  were,  undoubtedly,  mere 
wood-choppers  living  with  Lester  and  having  no 
connection  with  the  proprietors  of  the  store. 
Although  desperate,  brutal,  and  reckless,  ready 
for  a  fight  at  all  times,  as  shown  in  this  affray, 
they  were  clearly  not  the  train  robbers,  while  it 
was  equally  evident  that  the  two  who  had  escaped 
were  the  guilty  parties. 


MYSTERIOUS  MERCHANTS.  43 

William  learned  that  the  young  man  who  had 
first  slipped  out  was  Barton,  and  the  man  who 
had  done  the  shooting  was  Russell.  Clark,  they 
said,  had  taken  the  steamer  for  Cape  Girardeau, 
Missouri,  two  days  before,  accompanied  by  a 
married  woman,  named  Slaughter.  The  descrip- 
tion of  the  train  robbers  tallied  so  well  with  the 
appearance  of  Barton  and  Russell,  that,  talcing 
their  actions  into  consideration,  there  could  no 
longer  be  any  doubt  of  their  complicity  in  the 
affair,  and  it  was  highly  provoking  that  these 
two  should  have  escaped.  Still,  it  was  an  acci- 
dent which  could  hardly  have  been  avoided.  The 
fact  that  the  express  company  would  not  consent 
to  the  employment  of  a  larger  force  of  detectives 
was  the  principal  cause  of  this  misfortune,  for  it 
could  have  been  prevented  easily,  had  William 
been  accompanied  by  two  more  good  men  of  my 
force. 

As  it  was,  two  detectives,  dropping  unexpect- 
edly upon  a  nest  of  five  villainous-looking  men  in 
the  dark,  could  have  hardly  hoped  to  do  better 
than  to  secure  three  of  them.  It  could  not  have 
been  supposed  that  they  would  know  which  were 
the  important  ones  to  capture,  especially  as  they 
could  not  distinguish  one  from  another  in  the 
uncertain  light.  Indeed,  as  afterward  appeared, 
they  were  fortunate  in  having  escaped  alive,  for 
the  close  approach  to  fatal  wounds,  which  thrv 
both  received,  showed  how  deadly  had  been  the 
intentions  of  the  man  Russell,  while  Burtine  had 
evidently  intended  that  they  should  never  leave 
the  house  alive. 


44  THE  CAPTURED  RUFFIANS. 

It  may  be  supposed  that  the  shooting  on  both 
sides  was  none  of  the  best,  but  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  it  began  without  warning,  "and  was 
over  in  two  minutes.  It  cannot  be  expected  that 
snap-shooting,  even  at  close  quarters,  should  be 
very  accurate;  yet  it  was  afterward  learned  that 
Russell's  escape  had  been  about  as  narrow  as 
William's,  two  balls  having  passed  through  his 
clothes  and  grazed  his  flesh. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Captured  Ruffians  are  desired  for  Guides,  but  dare 
not  join  in  the  Search  for  the  Outlaws. —  One  of 
the  Mobbers  is  Taken,  but  subsequently  Escapes  from 
the  Amateur  defectives. — Another  Clue  suddc;J>/ 
Fails. 

HAVING  searched  the  whole  place,  and  sat- 
isfied himself  that  the  men  captured  had 
had  no  connection  with  the  robbery  or  the  rob- 
bers, William  offered  them  one  hundred  dollars 
to  act  as  guides  through  the  cane-brake  to  arrest 
Barton  and  Russell.  They  said  they  could  not  if 
they  would,  since  no  man  could  find  his  way 
there  in  broad  daylight,  much  less  at  night.  They 
further  admitted  that  they  dare  not  attempt  it,  as 
Russeh1  would  kill  them  if  they  learned  of  their 
action.  It  was  now  pitch  dark,  and  after  a  vain 


THE  CAPTURED  RUFFIANS.  45 

attempt  to  beat  through  the  cane  in  search  of  tho 
fugitives,  William  decided  to  return  to  Mr.  Mer- 
rick's  until  next  day. 

The  next  morning  at  daybreak  he  started  back 
for  Lester's,  accompanied  by  a  number  of  the 
cane-brake  population,  all  of  whom  were  anxious 
to  secure  the  one  hundred  dollars  reward.  They 
had  long  suspected  the  men  at  tho  store  of  being 
desperadoes,  but  they  had  had  a  wholesome  fear 
of  them  on  account  of  their  fierce  ways  and  their 
reckless  habit  of  drawing  their  revolvers  on  slight 
provocation. 

On  arriving  at  Lester's,  the  party  found  that 
Lester  had  returned  from  Hickman  during  tho 
night.  He  was  a  treacherous-looking  scoundrel, 
and  his  reputation  was  bad,  although  he  had 
never  been  caught  in  any  crime  in  that  vicinity. 
His  name,  John  Wesley  Lester,  showed  that  he 
must  have  once  belonged  to  a  pious  Methodist 
family,  and,  indeed,  he  claimed  to  have  once 
been  a  Methodist  preacher  himself.  He  had 
sunken  eyes,  milky  white,  and  his  hair  was  lank 
and  long;  his  complexion  was  dark,  cheeks  hol- 
low, chin  pointed,  and  forehead  low.  His  man- 
ner was  fawning  and  obsequious  to  those  above 
Mm,  and  he  looked  and  acted  like  a  second 
"  Uriah  Heap."  He  pretended  to  know  nothing 
of  Russell,  Clark,  and  Barton,  except  that  they 
had  come  to  his  place  in  July,  built  the  store 
there,  and  had  been  around  the  landing  more  or 
less  ever  since.  He  said  that  he  knew  nothing 
against  them,  except  that  they  were  gamblers, 


46          THE  CAPTURED  RUFFIANS. 

and  that  they  often  went  off  on  gambling  excur- 
sions, during  one  of  which,  according  to  their 
own  statements,  they  had  killed  a  man  in  a  quar- 
rel. 

William  learned  from  Lester's  daughter  that 
Barton  had  returned  during  the  night  to  get  a 
shawl,  blanket,  and  two  shot-guns.  He  had 
told  her  that  Kussell  was  hurt  pretty  badly,  but 
that  they  intended  to  take  the  first  packet  down 
the  river.  From  other  parties  William  learned 
that  the  packet  Julia  had  passed  down  dining  the 
night,  and  had  stopped  at  a  point  about  seven 
miles  below,  having  been  hailed  from  the  bank. 
He  did  not  place  much  faith  in  the  theory  that  the 
men  had  taken  passage  by  the  Julia,  for  the  rea- 
son that  Lester's  girl  was  too  anxious  to  tell  the 
story  of  the  route  Barton  proposed  taking.  He 
discovered  that  Barton  had  been  paying  lover-like 
attentions  to  the  girl,  and  he  believed  that  Bar- 
ton had  instructed  her  to  say  that  he  intended 
tuking  the  next  packet,  in  order  to  give  them  a  false 
scent.  Having  set  the  men  of  the  neighborhood 
at  work  searching  for  Kussell  and  Barton,  Wil- 
liam returned  to  Union  City. 

From  Hickman  Connell  was  sent  to  Cape 
Girardeau,  Missouri,  to  capture  Clark,  who  was 
said  to  have  gone  there  three  days  before. 

On  the  arrival  of  William  in  Union  City,  the 
superintendent  telegraphed  to  me  the  result  o£ 
William's  visit  to  Lester's  Landing,  and  au- 
thorized me  to  send  an  operative  to  Farmington, 
Illinois,  to  hunt  up  Mrs.  Kate  Graham,  and  lean) 


THE  CAPTUKED  RUFFIANS.          47 

what  she  could  tell  about  Russjll,  Clark,  and 
Barton.  A  man  was  sent  there  the  next  day,  and 
he  had  no  difficulty  in  finding  Mrs.  Graham,  who 
proved  to  be  the  wife  of  a  highly  respectable 
business  man.  She  was  a  member  of  the  church, 
and  was  held  in  high  esteem  by  every  one  ac- 
quainted with  her.  My  agent,  therefore,  ca]led 
upon  her  without  any  circumlocution  or  deception, 
and  asked  to  see  her  on  business.  She  was  con- 
fined to  her  room  by  illness,  but  she  saw  him 
for  a  few  minutes,  and  answered  his  questions  so 
frankly  that  there  was  no  doubt  she  was  tellmg 
the  truth.  She  stated  that  she  was  not  ac- 
quainted with  any  one  living  at  Lester's  Landing; 
that  she  did  not  know,  nor  ever  had  known,  any 
persons  of  the  names  given  (Eussell,  Clark,  and 
Barton);  and  that  she  knew  no  one  who  would 
answer  to  their  descriptions.  This  clue  seemed  10 
come  to  an  end  very  quickly,  yet  it  afterward 
proved  to  be  the  means  by  which  we  captured  one 
of  the  gang,  and  it  was  a  striking  instance  of  the 
necessity  for  the  most  careful  and  minute  inquiry 
upon  every  point  of  news  obtained,  especially 
upon  those  received  directly  from  the  criminals 
themselves. 

On  the  3d  of  November,  Connell  went  with  a 
constable  to  the  house  of  Mrs.  Gully,  the  mother 
of  Clark's  companion,  Mrs.  Slaughter,  and  there 
he  found  them  both.  Clark  was  surprised  by  the 
officers,  but  he  made  a  bold  fight,  and  was  over- 
powered with  difficulty.  When  finally  haml- 
cull'ed  and  searched,  a  navy  revolver  and  fifty 


48  THE  CAPTURED  RUFFIANS. 

• 

dollars  in  money  were  taken  from  him;  he 
then  taken  nine  miles  on  horseback  to  Cape  Girar- 
deau,  where  Connell  obtained  a  light  wagon  to 
drive  sixteen  miles  to  Allenville,  on  the  railroad 
leading  to  Hickman.  On  this  trip  Connell  made 
the  mistake  of  trusting  to  handcuffs  alone,  in- 
stead of  securely  fastening  his  prisoner's  feet 
with  rope.  The  idea  that  one  man  in  handcuffs 
could  escape  from  two  active,  unimpeded  men  did 
not,  however,  occur  to  Connell,  and  so  the  con- 
stable drove  the  horse,  while  Clark  and  Connell 
occupied  the  back  seat.  In  justice  to  Connell,  it 
should  be  stated  that  he  had  been  constantly  in 
the  saddle  for  several  days  in  raw  and  rainy 
weather,  and  had  had  very  little  sleep  for  two 
nights  previous. 

About  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening,  when  only  a 
mile  from  Allenville,  Clark  suddenly  made  a  leap 
out  of  the  wagon.  The  horse  was  jogging  along 
at  a  good  trot,  and,  though  Connell  sprang  after 
his  prisoner  instantly,  it  was  a  couple  of  minutes 
before  the  constable  could  follow.  As  he  ran, 
Connell  fired  at  the  dim  figure  disappearing  in 
the  thick  brush;  but  the  next  instant  he  pitched 
headlong  into  a  deep  mud-hole,  and,  by  the  time 
he  got*  out,  the  cylinder  of  his  revolver  was 
choked  with  mud,  and  Clark  was  far  in  advance. 
The  chase  was  kept  up  as  long  as  the  pursuers 
were  able  to  distinguish  the  direction  of  his  flight, 
but,  in  tho  darkness  of  the  gloomy  woods,  it  was 
impossible  to  follow  an  athletic  fellow  like  Clark 
with  any  hope  of  success.  Connell  returned  to 


THE  CAPTURED  RUFFIANS.  49 

Union  City  very  much  crestfallen,  and  reported 
his  misfortune.  My  first  feeling,  on  learning  the 
news,  was  one  of  deep  regret  and  anxiety  at  the 
loss  of  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  gang;  my  second 
thought  was  one  of  profound  thankfulness  that 
my  men  were  in  no  way  responsible  for  it.  The 
situation  was  an  illustration  of  the  disappoint- 
ments and  difficulties  which  are  so  often  met  in  a 
detective's  experience;  and,  though  I  felt  some- 
what discouraged,  I  was  more  than  ever  deter- 
mined that  none  of  these  men  should  eventually 
escape,  even  though  it  should  be  necessary  to  fol- 
low them  for  months. 

The  desire  of  the  express  company  to  employ 
as  few  as  possible  of  my  operatives  embarrassed 
me  exceedingly,  for  William  was  obliged  to  de- 
pend upon  strangers,  and  he  had  little  confidence 
in  their  ability  or  discretion.  He  was  now  satis- 
fied of  the  identity  of  the  parties  he  was  in  search 
of,  and  all  that  he  needed  was  a  small  force  of  ex- 
perienced and  reliable  men. 

Had  I  been  limited  and  interfered  with  in  the 
Maroney  case,  described  in  "  The  Expressman  and 
the  Detective,"  as  I  was  in  this,  there  is  no  doubt 
that  I  might  have  failed  to  capture  the  criminal ; 
but  the  cordial  cooperation  and  support  of  the 
Adams  Express  Company  gave  me  a  fail*  oppor- 
tunity to  work  to  good  advantage,  and  victory 
was  the  result. 


60  A  RICH  LEAD. 


CHAPTER  V. 

A  Rich  Lead  Struck  at  Last, 

"TTTILLIAM  was  quite  sure,  from  the  reputa- 
VV  tion  and  actions  of  Eussell,  Clark,  and 
Barton,  that  they  had  been  the  leaders  in  the  rob- 
bery, and  he  believed  that  Lester  could  give  im- 
portant information  about  them ;  he  therefore 
caused  Lester  to  be  brought  to  Union  City,  and, 
on  November  5,  he  succeeded  in  getting  a  state- 
ment of  the  doings  of  these  men  since  Lester  had 
known  them.  The  important  points  developed 
were  as  follows : 

They  came  to  Lester's  Landing  in  the  middle  of 
July,  and  built  their  store.  They  were  rarely 
there  together,  as  they  would  go  off  for  two  or 
three  weeks  at  a  time,  leaving  Barton  or  Clark  in 
charge,  and  sometimes  putting  Lester  in  as  store- 
keeper during  the  absence  of  all  three.  On  one 
occasion,  Eussell  showed  him  a  pocket-book  con- 
taining nearly  one  thousand  dollars,  which  he 
thought  he  had  lost,  but  which  he  found  under  a 
rail  fence  where  he  had  hidden  it ;  the  other  men, 
also,  seemed  to  have  plenty  of  money.  About 
the  middle  of  October,  the  three  storekeepers 
went  away,  and  were  gone  until  October  24,  thr<  >e 
days  after  the  robbery,  on  which  day  Lester  met 
Clark  and  Barton  walking  toward  his  house,  on 
the  way  from  Hickman.  They  seemed  quite  ex 


A  RICH  LEAD.  51 

cited,  and  said  ti.At  they  had  been  engaged  in  a 
difficulty,  but  they  did  not  state  what  it  was 
They  asked  him  whether  he  had  seen  Russell  re- 
cently, and  also  whether  there  was  a  skiff  at  his 
landing;  both  questions  were  answered  nega- 
tively, and  they  passed  on  toward  the  store,  while 
Lester  continued  his  walk  to  Hickman.  On  his 
return  at  night,  he  found  that  Clark  and  Barton 
had  been  across  the  river  all  day,  scouting  the 
Missouri  shore  for  Eussell,  and  that  shortly  after 
their  return,  Russell  had  come  across  the  river  in 
a  skiff.  Russell  said  that  he  had  been  shot,  but 
that  he  was  not  much  hurt,  and  he  did  not  seem 
to  act  as  if  he  had  been  hurt  at  all.  Sunday  morn- 
ing, October  29,  Clark  took  passage  in  a  steamer 
for  Cape  Girardeau,  having  Mrs.  Slaughter  in 
company,  and  it  was  understood  that  he  was  go- 
ing with  Mrs.  Slaughter  to  the  house  of  her 
mother,  nine  miles  from  the  Cape.  Tuesday 
evening,  William  and  Connell  arrived  at  Lester's, 
the  fight  took  place,  and  Barton  and  Russell 
escaped.  After  the  detectives  had  gone  back  to 
Campbell's,  Barton  returned  to  the  house  an^ 
obtained  a  shawl,  blanket,  and  two  shot-guns ; 
he  said  that  they  would  never  be  taken  alive,  bu*. 
that  Russell  had  been  badly  wounded  by  one  oi 
11 10  detectives.  William  had  left  two  men  at  the 
kind  ing  the  next  day  to  capture  the  men  if  they 
returned,  but  they  were  afraid  to  attempt  it,  a] 
though  they  had  a  good  opportunity  that  night. 
Ku-soll  came  into  the  house  alone,  showing  n« 
signs  of  having  been  wounded,  and  said  that  h<« 


52  A  RICH  LEAD. 

and  Barton  had  joined  four  friends,  who  were 
outside  waiting  for  him ;  that  they  were  all  well 
mounted  and  armed,  and  that  they  intended  to 
kill  any  one  who  should  betray  them  or  attempt 
their  capture.  He  added  that  they  intended  to 
make  their  way  on  horseback  to  Alabama,  and 
that  they  were  strong  enough  to  fight  their  way 
through,  if  necessary.  Of  course,  Eussell's  object 
was  to  frighten  the  detectives  and  others  who 
were  searching  for  him,  as  he  had  no  one  with 
him  except  Barton. 

Among  other  points  of  value  in  Lester's  state- 
ment, was  some  incidental  information  relative 
to  the  men,  which  he  had  learned  during  the  time 
they  boarded  with  him.  He  had  heard  Clark  say 
that  his  mother  lived  sixty  miles  back  of  Nash- 
ville, and  Russell  had  once  run  a  stationary  engine 
in  Missouri.  Lester  was  shown  the  satchel  found 
on  the  engine  after  the  robbery,  and  he  recog- 
nized it  as  having  been  left  at  his  house  once  by 
a  wood-chopper  named  Bill  Taylor,  who  lived  in 
the  cane-brake,  some  distance  below  him.  He 
said  that  the  three  men  each  carried  a  navy  re- 
volver and  a  derringer,  while  Eussell  had  also  a 
new,  large-sized  Smith  &  Wesson  revolver. 

Meantime,  the  telegraph  had  been  used  con- 
stantly to  learn  something  about  the  three  men, 
Kussell,  Clark,  and  Barton,  fronr.  whatever  source 
information  could  be  obtained.  Barton  was  well 
known  in  Nashville,  New  Madrid,  and  Union 
City.  He  was  quite  young,  but  he  had  been  in- 
volved in  a  stabbing  affray  in  Nashville,  and  was 


A  RICH  LEAD.  53 

regarded  as  a  desperate  character.  He  had  been 
respectably  brought  up  by  Major  Landis,  General 
Agent  of  the  Nashville  and  Northwestern  Rail- 
road,  and  had  been  given  a  place  in  the  employ 
of  that  road,  with  good  prospects  for  promotion. 
Having  become  dissipated  and  hardened,  he  had 
been  discharged  from  his  position,  and  Major 
Landis  had  cast  him  off ;  thenceforward,  his 
career  had  been  rapid  in  the  downward  direction. 

With  regard  to  the  other  two  men,  little  could 
be  learned,  until  a  rich  lead  was  struck  on  the 
seventh  of  November.  The  corrected  descriptions 
of  the  different  parties  having  been  sent  to  all  the 
agents  of  the  express  company,  Mr.  Charles  Pink, 
agent  at  Cairo,  recognized  Russell  as  a  man  who 
had  sent  eight  hundred  dollars  in  currency  from 
Cairo  to  Mrs.  M.  Farrington,  Gillem  Station,  Ten- 
nessee, on  the  eleventh  of  September,  and  who 
had  then  started,  according  to  his  own  statement, 
for  his  home  in  Illinois.  Mr.  Pink  also  stated 
that  the  chief  of  police  in  Cairo  claimed  to  know 
Russell,  and  to  be  able  to  find  him — for  a  suffi- 
cient consideration.  Not  having  any  use  for  the 
services  of  this  disinterested  officer,  his  offer  was 
politely  declined. 

The  superintendent  of  the  express  company 
was  strongly  impressed  with  the  belief  that  Rus- 
sell and  Barton  were  lurking  around  Lester's,  and 
so,  while  William  went  to  Nashville  to  see  what 
could  be  learned  about  Barton  and  his  compan- 
ions, a  number  of  men  were  hired  to  scour  the 
country,  hunt  through  the  brake,  and  guard  the 


54  A  RICH  LEAD. 

Mississippi  ferries,  while  Connell  and  Crowley, 
the  express  messenger,  were  placed  on  the  Mis- 
souri bank,  to  scout  that  side  of  the  river.  I  may 
say  here,  en  passant,  that,  with  the  exception  of 
the  two  named,  these  men  were  a  source  not  only 
of  great  unnecessary  expense  to  the  company, 
but  of  vexation  and  hindrance  to  William.  In 
most  cases,  their  scouting  consisted  in  riding  the 
high-roads  from  one  tavern  to  another,  and  in 
order  to  have  something  to  show  for  their  work, 
they  would  bring  in  every  species  of  wild  and 
foolish  rumor  that  they  could  discover  or  invent. 
As  the  superintendent  frequently  desired  that 
these  reports  should  be  investigated,  much  valu- 
able time  was  thus  wasted.  These  men  were  not 
only  employed  without  my  advice,  but  they  were 
retained  long  after  I  had  urgently  requested  the 
discharge  of  the  whole  party,  and  I  had  great 
difficulty  in  obtaining  their  discharge,  even  after 
I  was  positively  sure  that  the  robbers  had  crossed 
the  Mississippi  and  escaped  into  Missouri. 

William  spent  one  day  in  Nashville,  and  then 
went  to  Gillem  Station,  where  he  learned  that 
Mrs.  Farrington,  to  whom  Eussell  had  sent  eight 
hundred  dollars  from  Cairo,  lived  on  an  old,  worn- 
out  farm,  and  passed  for  a  rich  widow.  She  had 
three  sons — Hillary,  Levi,  and  t  Peter,  the  latter 
being  quite  young.  Hillary  and  Levi  Farrington 
uore  a  very  bad  reputation,  having  been  mixed 
up  in  all  kinds  of  fights  and  quarrels  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  They  were  suspected  of  horse- 
stealing  and  counterfeiting  .•  but  most  people  were 


A  RICH  LEAD.  55 

afraid  of  them,  and  they  had  never  been  arrested 
in  that  vicinity.  William  here  learned,  also,  that 
Barton  had  been  a  frequent  visitor  at  the  Farring- 
tons',  and  that  he  was  as  bad  as  the  others. 
While  at  Gillem  Station,  William  met  Pete  Far- 
ringtou,  the  youngest  of  the  three  brothers,  and 
his  resemblance  to  Eussell,  whose  face  William 
had  seen  by  the  dim  firelight  and  the  flash  of  his 
pistol  in  the  cabin  at  Lester's  Landing,  caused  a 
sudden  possibility  to  flash  across  his  mind.  He 
reasoned  out  the  connection  of  the  different  facts 
about  as  follows : 

' 'Eussell  was,  undoubtedly,  one  of  the  Moscow 
and  Union  City  robbers,  and  he  obtained  a  con- 
siderable share  of  the  plunder  ;  two  months  after 
the  first  robbery,  I  find  that  he  sent  eight  hun- 
dred dollars  to  Mrs.  Farrington  ;  this  establishes 
the  connection  of  those  two  persons.  Barton  was 
one  of  the  actors  in  both  robberies,  also,  and  I 
find  that  he  was  formerly  intimate  with  Mrs. 
Farrington  and  her  sons ;  another  link.  Pete 
Farrington  bears  a  strong  resemblance  to  Russell, 
their  peculiar  Roman  noses,  with  a  lump  in  the 
middle,  being  exactly  alike,  and  this  creates  a 
strong  presumption  that  they  belong  to  the  same 
family.  Now,  Russell  and  Clark  were  so  similar 
in  their  general  appearance,  that  many  people 
who  have  seen  them  together  believe  them  to 
have  been  brothers.  Hillary  and  Levi  Farring- 
ton, I  am  told,  also  closely  resemble  each  other, 
and  they  have  not  been  seen  about  here  for  some 
months,  they  being,  according  to  their  mother's 


66      ANOTHER  UNFORTUNATE  BLUNDER. 

account.,  in  Texas.  The  chain  of  evidence  is  very 
complete  ;  what  if  Russell  and  Clark  should  prove 
to  be  the  Farrington  brothers*! " 


CHAPTER  VI. 

The  Mother  of  the  Farringtons,  being  arrested,  boasts 
that  her  Sons  "  Willnever  be  taken  Alive." — Another 
Unfortunate  Blunder  by  Amateur  Detectives.— An, 
interesting  Fate  intended  for  the  Detectives. —  Wil- 
liam  A.  Pinkerton  captures  the  Murderer  of  a  iVtf/ro 
in  Union  City,  proving  "  a  very  good  Fellow — for 
a  Yankee." — An  Unfortunate  Publication.  —  -AY//- 
ger  -  Wool  Swamp  and  its  Outlaws. 

THE  more  William  thought  about  it,  the  more 
convinced  he  became  that  his  theory  was 
correct,  and  he  took  steps  to  verify  his  suspicions 
by  placing  a  watch  upon  Mrs.  Farrington's  move- 
ments. He  also  made  arrangements  to  get  pos- 
session of  any  letters  that  might  come  for  her, 
and  then,  being  hastily  recalled  by  the  superin- 
tendent of  the  express  company,  he  hurried  back 
to  Union  City. 

He  there  learned  that,  during  his  absence,  Clark 
had  talked  with  both  Lester  and  his  wife.  The 
latter  had  warned  him  of  his  danger,  and  he  had 
then  disappeared  in  the  cane-brake.  The  UK  ;/ 
stationed  at  Lester's  for  the  express  purp< 
arresting  any  of  the  robbers  who  might  come 
there,  had  been  either  unaware  of  Clark's  visit 


ANOTHER  UNFORTUNATE  BLUNDER.      :  7 

or  else  they  had  been  afraid  to  attempt  his  cap- 
ture, and  he  had  escaped  again  when  almost 
within  our  grasp.  William  had,  therefore,  been 
called  back  by  telegraph  to  take  charge  of  the 
men  engaged  in  beating  through  the  cane-brake, 
as  it  had  been  clearly  demonstrated  that,  without 
a  determined  leader,  these  men  w- re  no  more 
useful  than  a  flock  of  sheep.  The  hunt  went  on 
for  several  days  with  no  results  whatever,  while 
at  the  same  time  scouts  patroled  the  highways, 
and  other  men  kept  watch  upon  the  ferries  and 
fords  for  many  miles  around. 

While  this  was  going  on,  the  express  agent  at 
Gillem  Station  was  keeping  a  close  watch  upon 
Mrs.  Farrington,  when  suddenly  she  announced 
-her  intention  of  going  to  join  her  sons  in  Texas. 
Instead  of  sending  word  to  William  at  once,  the 
agent  began  operations  on  his  own  account,  and 
when  Mrs.  Farrington  arrived  at  Waverly,  Ten- 
nessee, he  caused  her  arrest.  She  had  started 
with  two  new  wagons  and  a  complete  outfit  for 
an  overland  journey  of  some  length,  so  that  her 
progress  could  not  have  been  very  rapid,  and 
nothing  would  have  been  lost  by  waiting  for  in- 
structions ;  but  the  insane  desire  to  play  detective 
seemed  to  overpower  all  other  considerations  in 
the  minds  of  the  company's  agents,  and  she  was 
arrested  by  the  slu-rifT  and  a  posse  of  citizens. 
Her  salutation  to  the  officer  who  stopped  her  set- 
tlcd  !hr  quesiion  of  identify  at  once,  for,  on  being 
told  that  she  would  be  obliged  to  let  him  search 
her  wagons  for  certain  men,  she  replied  : 

8* 


58      ANOTHER  UNFORTUNATE  BLUNDER. 

;<  Oh  !  yes  ;  I  know  what  you  want.  You  would 
like  to  find  my  two  sons  and  Barton  for  the  ex- 
press robbery  ;  but  you  will  never  catch  them,  for 
they  are  not  now  in  this  country,  and  they  will 
never  be  taken  alive." 

This  piece  of  information  led  the  express  agent 
to  take  the  only  sensible  step  of  his  whole  proceed- 
ing. Mrs.  Farrington  had  two  negro  families 
with  her,  some  of  whom  had  belonged  to  her  be- 
fore the  war ;  and,  with  the  personal  attachment 
noticeable  in  many  of  the  colored  people,  they 
were  now  desirous  of  going  West  with  her.  It 
occurred  to  the  agent  that  some  of  them,  from 
their  confidential  relations  to  the  family,  might 
be  able  to  give  some  information  as  to  the  where- 
abouts of  the  boys.  The  negroes  were,  therefore,  • 
taken  separately  and  closely  examined,  until  one 
of  the  men  was  urgently  persuaded  to  reveal 
what  he  knew.  He  said  that  Levi,  Hillary,  and 
Barton  had  committed  the  robbery,  and  that  they 
had  since  been  at  Mrs.  Farrington's  together. 
According  to  an  agreement  between  the  mother 
and  her  sons,  she  was  to  start  for  Texas,  passing 
through  Nigger- Wool  Swamp,  on  the  west  side  of 
the  Mississippi,  and  the  two  eldest  sons  were  to 
meet  her  in  the  swamp,  when  they  would  deter- 
mine where  to  go. 

The  agent  also  learned  that  the  men  had  ar- 
rived at  their  mother's  house  Friday  evening,  No- 
vember 10,  and  that  a  man  who  had  gone  there 
to  sell  her  a  wagon  had  been  met  by  Hillary  Far- 
rington with  a  shot-gun  ;  on  seeing  that  it  was  a 


ANOTHER  UNFORTUNATE  BLUNDER.      59 

neighbor,  however,  Hillary  had  lowered  his  gun 
and  allowed  him  to  come  in.  It  was  also  learned 
that  the  three  desperadoes  had  been  seen  at  the 
house  of  the  Farringtons'  uncle,  named  Douglas, 
on  Hurricane  Creek,  about  ten  miles  from  Wav- 
erly ;  again,  on  Monday,  they  had  been  noticed 
at  Hurricane  Mills,  making  their  way  to  Fowler's 
Landing,  on  the  Tennessee  Kiver  between  Flor- 
ence and  Johnsonville,  fourteen  miles  from  the 
last-named  place.  It  was  evident  that  they  in- 
tended to  strike  across  the  country  below  Reel's 
Foot  Lake,  and  cross  the  Mississippi  at  some  point 
between  Columbus  and  Memphis.  The  men  were 
all  well  mounted  and  armed,  and  they  had 
(hanged  their  personal  appearance  somewhat  by 
altering  the  arrangement  of  their  hair,  whiskers, 
and  beards. 

The  arrest  of  Mrs.  Farrington  was  a  most  un- 
fortunate blunder,  since  it  disclosed  to  the  crim- 
inals how  close  had  been  their  pursuit,  while  little 
really  important  information  was  obtained.  It 
was  a  good  illustration  of  the  danger  of  taking 
;my  decided  step  in  a  criminal  investigation  be- 
fore knowing  to  a  certainty  that  some  good  result 
would  be  obtained.  The  parties  thus  learned  that 
we  were  not  only  aware  of  their  identity,  but 
also  that  we  were  very  close  upon  their  track,  and 
the  danger,  as  well  as  the  difficulty,  of  the  case 
was  laruvly  increased.  These  men  were  despera- 
does of  the  most  reckless  type,  and  they  would 
not  Irive  hesitated  a  moment  to  lie  in  ambush 
and  kill  their  |nu>uers,  if  they  had  found  it  pos- 
sihle  |o  do  80. 


60      ANOTHER  UNFORTUNATE  BLUNDER. 

In  order  to  intercept  the  fugitives  before  -each- 
ing  the  swampy  country  near  the  Mississippi,  the 
number  of  scouts  and  patrolling  parties  was  in- 
creased by  the  superintendent  of  the  express 
company,  and  two  men,  named  Ball  and  Bleclsoe, 
were  engaged  to  follow  Mrs.  Farrington  on  horse- 
back until  her  sons  should  join  her  in  Nigger - 
Woo*l  Swamp.  This  would  have  been  a  sensible 
and  necessary  move  if  the  right  kind  of  men  had 
been  employed ;  but  the  selection  of  untrained 
men  for  the  delicate  and  important  work  of 
"shadowing"  such  an  experienced  gang  of  vil- 
lains was  risky  in  the  extreme.  Had  they  ever 
met  Barton  and  the  Farringtons,  the  latter  would 
have  undoubtedly  murdered  both  of  them  with- 
out scruple ;  but  there  was  110  danger  of  such  a 
meeting,  since  the  robbers,  and  Mrs.  Farrington 
also,  were  perfectly  aware  of  the  presence  of  their 
pursuers  from  the  start.  Indeed,  they  afterward 
stated  that  it  had  been  their  intention  to  have  led 
the  detectives  on  as  far  *as  the  wild,  unsettled 
country  of  Western  Missouri,  and  to  have  then 
hanged  them  in  some  unfrequented  spot,  placing 
the  inscription  "Horse-thief"  upon  each  of  the 
bodies.  Subsequent  events  prevented  them  from 
carrying  out  this  plan,  but  there  was  no  doubt 
that  they  would  have  taken  that  or  some  other 
equally  daring  means  of  ridding  themselves  of 
pursuit.  The  manner  in  which  Ball  and  Bledsoe 
exposed  their  intentions  wherever  they  went 
showed  the  inexperience  of  both  men  in  such 
work ;  for,  along  the  whole  route  over  which 


ANOTHER  UNFORTUNATE  BLUNDER.      61 

they  passed,  they  were  known  as  officers  track- 
ing a  band  of  thieves  ;  and  we  afterward  learned 
that,  while  they  were  innocently  and  unsuspect- 
ingly following  Mrs.  Farrington,  two  of  the  men, 
Barton  and  Clark,  were  almost  continually  watch- 
ing them.  However,  they  had  been  started  on 
their  mission  by  the  superintendent  before  Wil- 
liam could  make  any  other  arrangements,  as  he 
,vas  away  at  Lester's  Landing  when  the  chase 
began. 

From  William's  reports  to  me,  I  saw  the  use- 
lessness  of  maintaining  such  a  body  of  men  in 
the  work  of  scouting,  watching  ferries,  and  beat- 
ing the  cane-brake,  for  the  reason  that  no  good 
could  come  of  it.  I  knew  that  if  the  robbers  could 
escape  from  Lester's  Landing  and  make  their 
way  to  Gillem  Station  once,  they  could  do  it 
again.  Clark  (or  Hillary  Farrington)  had  been  at 
Lester's  early  Thursday  morning,  while  guards 
were  stationed  all  about ;  yet,  on  Saturday  morn- 
ing he  was  at  his  mother's  farm,  and  no  one  had 
even  seen  him  on  the  way.  This  convinced  me 
that  they  had  such  a  knowledge  of  the  country 
as  to  make  it  impossible  to  stop  them  by  any  sys- 
tem of  guards  or  patrols,  and  I  therefore  wrote 
several  letters  asking  that  the  superintendent  dis 
charge  this  expensive  force  at  once,  and  allow  me 
to  manage  the  whole  operation  by  my  own  plans 
and  with  my  own  men.  While  William,  there- 
fore, was  at  work  with  indefatigable  energy  and 
perseverance,  scouting  and  following  up  all  the 
reports  brought  in  by  the  vast  army  of  volun 


02  ANO'IHEK   UNFORTUNATE    BLUNDER. 

detectives  in  the  company's  employ,  we  were  t)oth 
satisfied  that  the  method  adopted  was  useless,  and 
that  even  the  ferry  guards  would  discover  noth- 
ing. Knowing  the  character  of  the  three  desper- 
adoes, I  had  no  doubt  of  their  sagacity  in  avoid- 
ing observation  and  pursuit ;  they  would  never 
try  to  cross  without  knowing  positively  whether 
the  ferry  was  guarded,  and  if  there  should  be  any 
real  danger,  they  would  undoubtedly  steal  a  skiff 
and  make  their  horses  swim  across  the  river,  a 
feat  of  no  great  risk  in  the  then  low  condition  of 
the  water. 

About  this  time  an  incident  occurred  which 
added  greatly  to  William's  popularity  in  Union 
City,  and  gained  for  him  the  respect  and  kindly 
feeling  of  the  community.  On  Sunday  two 
roughs,  having  drank  enough  bad  whisky  to  be 
absolutely  fiendish,  began  to  beat  an  old  and  inof- 
fensive negro  whom  they  happened  to  meet.  A 
merchant,  named  Blakemore,  who  was  passing  at 
the  time,  stopped  to  remonstrate  with  the  ruffians, 
when  one  of  them  turned  and  plunged  a  knife 
into  his  stomach,  inflicting  a  wound  which  caused 
his  death  next  day.  The  murderer  was  the  terror 
of  the  town,  and  so  great  was  the  fear  of  him 
that  he  would  have  probably  escaped  had  not 
William  appeared  on  the  street  as  he  rushed 
away  flourishing  his  bloody  knife  and  threaten- 
ing to  kill  any  one  who  should  stand  in  his  way. 
The  sight  of  William's  heavy  revolver  leveled  at 
his  head,  backed  by  the  certainty  which  he  saw 
in  William's  face  that  death  or  .surrender  was  his 


ANOTHER  UNFORTUNATE  BLUNDER.      63 

only  alternative,  caused  him  to  choose  the  latter, 
and  he  w^s  lodged  in  jail  to  await  his  trial  foi 
murder.  The  people  of  the  town  were  quite  en- 
thusiastic over  the  way  in  which  William  had 
brought  the  fellow  to  bay,  and  then  compelled 
his  surrender ;  and  they  even  went  so  far  as  to 
say  that  he  was  "  a  good  fellow,  a  very  good  fel- 
low indeed — for  a  Yankee." 

On  the  twentieth  of  November  an  unfortunate 
publicity  was  given  to  our  operations  by  the  pub- 
lication in  the  Union  City  Journal  of  a  long  his 
tory  of  the  Farringtons,  showing  their  whole 
career  of  crime,  and  terminating  with  an  account 
of  their  latest  exploit,  as  developed  by  our  inves- 
tigations in  and  about  Union  City.  It  is  unneces- 
sary to  state  the  source  whence  this  information 
was  derived,  further  than  to  say  that  it  was  not 
obtained  from  any  member  of  my  force.  It  was 
a  very  dangerous  piece  of  news  to  be  published, 
since  it  might  have  wholly  overthrown  all  our 
plans,  besides  involving  the  death  of  two  or  three 
men  engaged  in  the  operation ;  fortunately,  the 
robbers  were  undoubtedly  across  the  Mississippi 
by  that  time,  and  beyond  the  reach  of  newspapers 
for  some  weeks  at  least. 

On  the  same  day  that  this  matter  was  published, 
Mrs.  Farrington  crossed  the  Mississippi  River  at 
Bird's  Point,  opposite  Cairo,  and  the  fact  was  re- 
ported to  William  and  to  me  by  telegraph.  We 
had  previously  learned  that  Mrs.  Farrington  h.»<l 
relatives  in  Springfield,  Missouri,  and  in  Dade 
County,  in  the  same  State,  and  the  probal.il . 


64      ANOTHER  UNFORTUNATE  BLUNDER. 

were  that,  instead  of  going  to  Texas,  she  \vas 
going  to  visit  in  one  of  these  places.  Meanwhile, 
though  my  opinion  was  that  her  sons  intended  to 
rejoin  her  somewhere,  either  in  Nigger -Wool 
Swamp  or  at  her  place  of  destination,  I  had  no 
certainty  that  such  was  their  intention  ;  and, 
bearing  in  mind  the  warning  they  had  received 
by  her  arrest  at  Waveiiy  (and  possibly  by  read- 
ing the  newspaper  article  previously  mentioned), 
I  felt  that  every  clue  must  be  carefully  traced, 
even  though  it  might  lead  in  an  exactly  opposite 
direction  from  that  in  which  our  previous  suspi- 
cions had  caused  us  to  look.  My  correspondents 
and  agents  in  Louisville,  Cincinnati,  St.  Louis, 
and  New  Orleans  were,  therefore,  kept  on  the 
alert  to  capture  the  men  if  they  should  venture 
into  those  cities,  while  I  held  three  determined 
men  ready  to  go  at  once  in  pursuit  of  Mrs.  Far- 
rington,  in  case  she  should  take  the  route  through 
Nigger- Wool  Swamp. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  one  of  the  negroes 
accompanying  Mrs.  Farrington  had  stated  that 
her  sons  were  to  join  her  in  that  swamp  ;  now, 
there  were  three  possibilities  about  this  state- 
ment :  first,  the  negro  might  have  lied ;  second, 
he  might  have  been  so  informed  by  the  old  lady 
on  purpose  to  give  a  false  scent  in  case  he  should 
be  questioned ;  and,  third,  while  their  intention 
might  have  been  to  meet  there,  subsequent  c  vents 
might  have  altered  their  plans.  Still,  thinking 
the  subject  over  carefully,  I  decided  that  sho 
would  not  take  so  difficult  a  course  unless  sho 


ANOTHER   UNFORTUNATE   BLUNDER.  f>j 

really  intended  to  meet  her  sons  there.  My  rea- 
sons for  so  thinking  were  based  upon  the  nature 
of  the  place,  and,  to  comprehend  my  solicitude 
about  Nigger -Wool  Swamp,  a  description  of  it 
will  be  necessary. 

The  swamp  is  more  than  seventy  miles  long  by 
about  thirty-five  miles  wide,  and,  •  as  a  piece  of 
bottomless  ooze,  its  superior  cannot  be  found  in 
the  United  States.  There  are  just  two  roads 
crossing  it,  one  running  from  Hall's  Ferry,  at 
Point  Pleasant,  Missouri,  and  the  other  from 
Mitchell's  Ferry,  thirty-five  miles  below.  These 
roads  are  mere  bog-paths  in  themselves,  being 
heavily  overlaid  with  underbrush  and  corduroy 
logs,  yet  they  afford  the  only  means  of  crossing 
this  vast  morass.  The  period  of  the  annual  over- 
flow turns  it  into  a  turbid,  sluggish  lake,  the  roads 
being  then  deeply  buried  under  water  ;  but  even 
in  the  dryest  seasons  the  greater  portion  of  the 
swamp  is  a  bottomless  slime  of  mud  and  putre- 
fying vegetation.  Large  tracts  of  thickly- wooded 
land  are  contained  within  the  limits  of  the  swamp, 
and  these  constitute  a  semi -substantial  basis  for 
the  two  roads  which  run  through  them  ;  but  even 
these  clumps  are  impassable  at  most  seasons, 
except  along  the  artificially- constructed  roads. 
Sometimes,  for  miles  and  miles,  nothing  but  tho 
rankest  of  swamp- vegetation  is  seen,  growing  in 
wild  profusion  and  covering  the  treacherous  ooze 
with  a  close  network  of  leaves  and  brai.<-lv •<, 
until  the  surface  looks  firm  enough  to  be  tal. 
for  solid  ground  ;  but  should  any  unfortunate 


66      ANOTHER  UNFORTUNATE  BLUNDER. 

traveler  venture  to  cross  such  a  spot,  his  limbs 
would  be  clogged  by  these  clinging  water-plants, 
his  feet  would  find  no  secure  resting-place,  and, 
sinking  rapidly  deeper  and  deeper  into  the  mire, 
his  bones  would  find  a  sepulcher  where  nothing 
but  a  general  natural  convulsion  would  ever  dis- 
turb them. 

Still,  there  are  occasional  islands  of  firm  ground 
through  this  section,  and  these  have  become  the 
resort  of  lawless  characters  of  every  nationality 
and  degree  of  crime.  Over  the  entrance  to  Nig- 
ger-Wool Swamp  might  be  placed,  with  perfect 
truthfulness,  the  motto:  "Who  enters  here 
leaves  hope  behind."  Each  man  is  a  law  unto 
himself,  and  he  must  maintain  his  rights  by  the 
strong  arm  and  the  ready  shot-gun.  In  one  thing 
only  are  the  dwellers  of  the  swamp  united, 
namely :  a  bitter  and  deadly  resistance  to  the 
law.  No  officer  of  justice  ventures  therein  to 
perform  any  of  the  duties  of  his  office ;  unless 
backed  by  a  powerful  body  of  determined  men, 
he  would  never  return  alive,  and,  if  so  accompa- 
nied, he  would  never  succeed  in  catching  a 
glimpse  of  any  criminal  whom  he  might  be 
seeking. 

About  the  middle  of  the  swamp,  the  two  roads 
cross  each  other  at  a  spot  called  "  The  Gates,"  and 
every  person  traveling  through  either  way  must 
pass  this  place.  Knowing  this  fact,  I  felt  sure 
that  Mrs.  Farrington  would  await  the  arrival  ol 
her  sons  at  "  The  Gates,"  in  case  she  entered  the 
ewamp,  and  I  determined  that,  in  such  an  event, 


ANOTHER  UNFORTUNATE  BLUNDER.      67 

I  should  try  to  capture  them  there.  I  was  fully 
aware  of  the  danger  of  such  an  attempt,  but  I 
knew  that  to  take  the  bull  by  the  horns  is  some- 
times the  safest  means  of  overpowering  him.  To 
send  officers  to  that  point  with  the  avowed  pur- 
pose of  arresting  any  one,  would  be  equivalent  to 
sending  them  to  their  certain  death,  and  I  had  no 
intention  of  doing  anything  of  the  kind ;  but  I 
had  men  of  my  force  who  could  visit  Nigger- 
Wool  Swamp  for  the  professed  purpose  of  hiding 
there  from  pursuit  for  alleged  crimes,  and,  when 
the  moment  came  for  action,  I  did  not  doubt  that 
they  would  bring  out  their  men  before  the  neigh- 
boring outlaws  could  discover  their  object. 

Everything  depended  upon  the  course  Mrs.  Far- 
rington  should  take  on  leaving  the  Mississippi 
River,  since  by  striking  north  from  the  point 
where  she  crossed,  she  could  skirt  the  edge  of  the 
swamp,  while  if  she  turned  south  toward  Point 
Pleasant,  I  should  know  that  she  intended  to 
carry  out  her  original  programme.  This  question 
was  quickly  settled,  however,  not  only  by  the  re- 
ports of  the  scouts,  Ball  and  Bledsoe,  who  were 
following  Mrs.  Farrington,  but  also  by  an  unex- 
pected piece  of  intelligence  from  Gillein  Station. 
Mrs.  Farrington  moved  about  twenty  or  twenty- 
five  miles  each  day,  and,  from  the  faot  that  she 
went  north  to  Fredericktown,  there  was  no  doubt 
that  she  had  changed  her  plan  of  meeting 
sonj  in  Nigger- Wool  Swamp. 


68  THE  CHASE  BECOMING  HOT. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

The  Scene  of  Action    transferred  to  Missouri. —  Tfa 
Chase  becoming  Hot. 

ON  the  twenty-.second  of  November,  William 
learned  that  a  letter  had  arrived  at  Gillem 
Station,  postmarked  Verona,  Missouri,  November 
13,  and  he  immediately  took  measures  to  obtain 
this  letter.  Three  days  later  he  learned  its  con- 
tents, which  were  of  such  an  important  character 
as  to  give  a  new  direction  to  our  efforts.  The  letter 
read  as  follows: 

"VERONA,  Mo.,  Nov.  13,  1871. 
"  MY  DEAR  COUSIN: 

' '  I  seat  myself  to  answer  your  kind  letter,  which 
came  to  hand  last  evening,  and  was  glad  to  hear 
from  you,  and  hear  you  was  well  and  doing  well. 
I  have  nothing  new  to  write,  only  that  we  are  all 
well  at  present,  hoping  that  when  these  few  lines 
come  to  hand  they  may  find  you  well  and  doing 
well  as  ever,  as  you  say  you  have  been  doing  very 
well.  It  must  be  a  good  thing  if  it  could  stay  so. 
Sometimes  it  was  well  and  sometimes  it  wasn't, 
but  I  hope  it  will  stay  so,  as  you  say  it  is  a  soft 
thing — as  soft  as  things  gets  to  be.  I  would  like 
to  see  something  like  that,  you  bet.  You  talk  like 
it  can't  be  beat.  That  is  the  thing  to  take;  in.  1 
think,  and  I  know  you  think  it,  for  I  saw  your 


THE  CHASE  BECOMING  HOT.  G9 

name.  I  guess  I  did  see  you.  You  kno^\  Mr. 
Orapmel?  He  is  a,  great  fellow;  you  bet  it  is  so. 
1  have  nothing  more  to  write  at  present,  as  you 
sa  id  you  are  going  to  start  out  here.  You'  said  you 
was  coming  by  here.  Cousin,  if  you  do  come  by, 
we  don't  live  where  we  did  when  you  were  here; 
we  li  vi  5  two  miles  nearer  Verona.  Come  the  same 
road.  We  live  now  half  mile  oft  the  road  on  John 
Ellis'  place.  You  can  find  out  where  we  live  any- 
where. Come  out  the  same  road  you  did  when 
you  came  before.  John  Timothy  has  just  come 
out  here;  has  been  out  here  about  thr^e  weeks. 
He  is  well  satisfied  here.  So  I  will  close  for  this 
time. 

"  From  your  cousin, 

"  J.  M.  DURHAM. 

"  M.  F.  sends  her  love  to  all  of  the  family.  Ex- 
cuse my  bad  writing  and  bad  spelling." 

It  was  evident  that  Mrs.  Farrington  had  pre- 
viously written  to  her  cousin  informing  him  of 
her  intention  to  visit  him  soon,  and  this  letter 
was  intended  to  direct  her  to  the  new  location. 
The  allusions  in  the  letter  to  the  "good  thing"  in 
which  she  was  engaged  showed  that  the  writer 
had  been  made  aware  of  the  Farringtons'  success 
xpress  robbers,  and  that  he  quite  approved  of 
their  operations. 

On  reading  this  letter,  William  sent  a  copyio 
me  immediately,  and  suggested  that  one  or  two 
good  men  be  sent  to  Verona  to  get  work  near  this 
man  Durham,  and  to  get  into  the  confidence  of 


70  THE  CHASE  BECOMING  HOT. 

the  family,  so  that,  when  Mrs.  Farrington  should 
arrive,  she  would  not  bo  likely  to  suspect  any  one 
who  had  come  before  her.  I  fully  approved  of 
William's  plan,  and,  on  the  last  day  of  Novem- 
ber, Detectives  George  W.  Cottrell  arid  Arthur  C. 
Marriott  started  for  Verona.  I  inferred  that  the 
people  in  that  vicinity  were  rather  lawless  and 
despei  ate  characters,  from  the  fact  that  Durham 
spoke  of  "John  Timothy  "  being  well  satisfied 
there.  On  the  principle  that  ' '  birds  of  a  feather 
flock  together,"  I  judged  the  Farringtons,the  Dur- 
hams,  and  this  fellow  Timothy  to  belong  to  the 
same  type  of  people;  hence,  I  concluded  that,  if 
Durham  and  Timothy  were  satisfied  with  the 
country,  the  people  living  there  must  be  congenial 
spirits,  especially  since  Mrs.  Farrington  was  about 
to  make  a  place  of  refuge  in  that  vicinity. 

My  two  men  were  detained  a  day  in  St.  Louis, 
and  they  did  not  arrive  in  Verona  until  the  sec- 
ond of  December.  The  first  thing  they  noticed 
about  the  town  was  the  total  absence  of  liquor  sa- 
loons, and  a  few  minutes'  conversation  with  one 
or  two  of  the  citizens  convinced  them  that  no 
more  orderly,  honest,  law-abiding  community  ex- 
isted in  Missouri  than  the  population  of  Lawrence 
County.  This  discovery  made  a  marked  change 
m  their  plans  necessary,  as  my  instructions  to 
them  had  been  based  upon  the  supposition  that 
4  hey  would  find  a  number  of  robbers,  horse- 
thieves,  and  counterfeiters  around  Verona,  and 
that  they  would  be  easily  able  to  get  Durham's 
confidenq}  by  appearing  as  reckless  and  desperate 


THE  CHASE  BECOMING  HOT.  71 

as  any  one.  They  had  each  prepared  a  choice  au- 
tobiography for  use  among  the  residents,  and,  ac- 
cording to  their  own  intended  accounts  of  them- 
selves, two  greater  scoundrels  never  went  un- 
hung. 

All  this  was  necessarily  useless  in  the  changed 
circumstances  surrounding  them.  To  attempt  the 
role  of  criminal  characters,  hiding  from  justice, 
would  quickly  cause  their  banishment  from  the 
place,  or  possibly  their  arrest,  and  a  new  plan 
was  essential.  Their  instructions  had  been  that 
they  should  not  put  any  confidence  in  any  one, 
and  they  were  obliged  to  invent  a  plausible  rea- 
son for  their  presence  there;  also  to  have  some 
business  which  would  enable  them  to  ride  about 
the  country,  making  inquiries  and  scouting  foi 
Mrs.  Farrington  and  her  sons. 

Finding  that  the  railroad  company  had  a  land 
agent  in  Verona,  Cottrell  decided  to  represent 
themselves  as  would-be  purchasers  of  land.  This 
would  give  them  an  excuse  for  going  all  over  the 
county,  examining  different  farms  and  unim- 
proved tracts.  They  were  introduced  to  Mr. 
Purdy,  the  land  agent,  by  the  hotel  clerk,  and 
from  him  they  obtained  a  map  of  the  county.  It 
was  then  agreed  that  Mr.  Purdy  should  go  out 
with  Cottrell  and  Marriott  on  Tuesday,  December 
5,  to  look  at  some  pieces  of  property  which  the 
railroad  company  wished  to  sell.  During  Sunday 
and  Monday  both  of  the  detectives  were  trying  to 
ti  where  Durham  lived,  but  no  one  seemed  to 
know;  neither  could  any  one  tell  them  anything 


72  THE  CHASE  BECOMING  HOT. 

about  John  Ellis,  upon  whose  farm  Durham  had 
said  he  was  living.  The  idea  that  Mrs.  Farrington 
was  rapidly  pushing  west,  toward  Durham's  place, 
made  Cottrell  very  anxious  to  begin  operations 
as  quickly  as  possible,  since,  if  she  should  arrive 
before  the  detectives  were  established  in  the  vicin- 
ity, there  would  be  great  difficulty  in  working 
into  her  confidence,  as  she  would  instantly  sus- 
pect their  true  character;  whereas,  if  she  should 
find  them  already  there,  she  would  have  no  pos- 
sible occasion  to  distrust  them.  They  therefore 
thought  best  to  confide  the  real  object  of  their 
visit  to  Mr.  Purdy,  the  land  agent,  and  to  ask  his 
advice  and  assistance.  Mr.  Purdy  had  been  an 
officer  in  the  Union  army  during  the  war  of  the 
rebellion,  and  had  settled  in  Verona  at  the  close 
of  the  war.  He  was  evidently  an  honorable  man, 
who  would  always  be  found  on  the  side  of  law 
and  order,  and  as  he  was  very  popular  in  Verona, 
he  would  be  able  to  give  them  a  great  deal  of  as- 
sistance in  capturing  the  Farrington  party.  On 
communicating  with  me  by  telegraph  on  this 
point,  they  ^tated  the  facts  briefly,  and  I  author- 
ized them  to  confer  with  Mr.  Purdy  on  the  sub- 
ject, at  the  same  time  forwarding  full  instruc- 
tions by  letter. 

On  Tuesday,  therefore,  they  told  the  whole 
story  to  Mr.  Purdy,  and  showed  him  their  cre- 
el 3iitials.  He  was  quite  astonished  at  their  reve- 
lations, but  he  was  very  hearty  and  sincere  in  his 
expressions  of  good  will  toward  them,  and  he 
promised  to  aid  them  in  every  possible  way.  He 


THE  CHASE  BECOMING  HOT.  73 

knew  John  Ellis  quite  well,  having  sold  him  the 
farm  on  which  he  was  living,  and  he  had  heard  of 
Durham,  who  hired  a  small  portion  of  the  Ellis 
farm.  He  said  that  if  force  should  be  necessary 
to  capture  the  Farrington  party,  he  could  raise 
fifty  determined  men  in  ten  minutes  to  help  the 
officers.  He  said  that  after  the  war  Verona  had 
been  a  very  bad  place  for  a  short  time,  but  that, 
as  Eastern  men  began  to  settle  there,  the  respect- 
able people  had  tried  to  drive  out  the  hard  cases; 
this  had  been  slow  work  at  first,  but  they  event- 
ually had  been  completely  successful;  they  not 
only  had  driven  out  the  dangerous  characters,  but 
they  had  closed  all  the  liquor  saloons  also;  and 
now,  having  once  got  rid  of  them,  they  would 
take  care  not  to  let  any  of  that  class  of  people 
back  again. 

Mr.  Purdy  was  called  away  for  a  day  or  two  on 
business,  but  he  promised,  on  his  return,  to  go 
with  the  detectives  to  Durham's  place,  and,  mean- 
time, he  said  he  would  speak  of  them  as  gentle- 
men who  intended  buying  land  in  that  section, 
and  who  wished  to  ride  over  the  country  until 
they  found  a  place  which  satisfied  them.  During 
the  next  three  days,  therefore,  they  learned 
nothing  new,  their  time  being  occupied  in  scout- 
ing the  road  along  which  they  expected  Mrs.  Far- 
rington to  come. 

Thus  tin-  tirsl  week  of  December  passed,  and 
the  operation  was  not  progressing  very  favorably 
anywhere.  Ball  and  Bledsoe  had  reported  Mrs. 
Farrington's  route  up  to  the  thirtieth  of  November, 


74  THE  CHASE  BECOMING  HOT. 

and  she  had  moved  quite  rapidly  up  to  that  date, 
but  nothing  had  been  learned  since,  and  I  expected 
to  hear  of  her  arrival  at  Verona  every  day.  She 
had  gone  from  Cairo  to  Frederickstown,  Missouri, 
and  thence  to  Ironton;  then,  instead  of  following  a 
direct  road,  she  had  struck  up  north  to  Potosi,  in 
Washington  County;  again  taking  a  westerly 
route,  she  had  passed  through  Steelville,  Crawford 
County,  and  on  the  thirtieth  of  November,  she 
had  camped  at  Waynesville,  Pulaski  County. 
Beyond  this  we  knew  nothing  of  her  movements, 
although  by  the  eighth  of  December  she  had  had 
ample  time  to  reach  Verona. 

William  had  spent  this  week  in  following  up  a 
clue  received  from  Louisville,  Kentucky.  It  will 
be  remembered  that  about  November  9,  a  pair  of 
dashing  women  had  been  reported  as  having 
visited  the  banks  in  Kansas  City,  trying  to  get 
large  bills  for  about  eight  thousand  dollars  in  small 
bills.  I  had  not  believed  the  story  at  that  time, 
and  therefore  had  taken  no  steps  to  follow  them. 
When  William  learned  from  Louisville,  however, 
that  a  woman  named  Annie  Martin,  whom  Levi 
Farrington  had  been  in  the  habit  of  supporting 
on  the  proceeds  of  his  robberies,  had  been  stay- 
ing there  with  another  woman  named  Lillie 
Baker,  who  had  sustained  the  same  relations  to 
Barton,  it  occurred  to  him  that  these  might  have- 
been  the  women  who  were  said  to  have  been  in 
Kansas  City  with  so  much  money.  He  started 
at  once  for  Louisville,  at  the  same  time  f 
graphing  to  me  his  suspicions  in  the  matter,  and  I 


1HE  CHASE  BECOMING  HOT.  75 

f 

began  inquiries  again  in  Kansas  City  by  telegraph. 
I  could  learn  very  little  except  from  the  teller  of 
one  bank,  who  described  the  women  as  well  as  he 
could  remember  their  appearance;  but  the  descrip- 
tion was  not  accurate  enough  to  determine 
whether  these  two  women  had  or  had  not  been 
Annie  Martin  and  Lillie  Baker.  Tn  Louisville, 
however,  William  learned  that  these  women  had 
been  there  recently,  and  they  had  appeared  to  be 
well  supplied  with  money.  They  had  not  re- 
mained very  long,  but  had  gone  to  New  Orleans, 
where  they  were  then  living  in  good  style.  As 
Mr.  O'Brien,  the  general  superintendent  of  the 
express  company,  was  in  New  Orleans,  the  in- 
formation was  sent  to  him,  and  he  agreed  to  have 
a  sharp  watch  kept  to  discover  Farrington  and 
Barton,  in  case  they  should  follow  these  women. 
On  the  eighth  of  December,  Cottrell,  Marriott, 
and  Mr.  Purdy  started  on  horseback  to  visit  John 
Ellis's  farm,  where  the  Durhams  lived.  About  a 
mile  before  arriving  there,  they  met  a  farmer 
named  Wisbey,  who  was  a  neighbor  of  Ellis  and 
the  Durhams.  Without  letting  him  into  their  con- 
fidence, they  talked  with  him  a  long  time,  and 
i;i  ndually  drew  out  a  number  of  important  facts. 
The  Durham  family  consisted  of  two  brothers  and 
a  young  sister  living  with  their  mother,  old  Mrs. 
Durham,  and  they  rented  a  small  house  on  a  part 
of  the  Ellis  farm.  Nothing  positive  had  ever  born 
discovered  against  the  character  of  either  James 
or  Tilman  Durham,  but  the  neighbors  had  a  poor 
opinion  of  them,  and  kept  a  pretty  close  watch 


76  THE  CHASE  BECOMING  HOT. 

upon  their  actions.  During  the  previous  fall  a 
young  man  had  visited  them  for  soi^e  time,  and 
his  description  was  exactly  that  of  Levi  Farring- 
ton;  but  Wisbey  could  not  tell  his  name,  though 
he  promised  to  learn  it,  and  let  Mr.  Purdy  kno\\ 
Mr.  Wisbey  was  a  downright  honest,  intelligent, 
man,  and  Mr.  Purdy  asked  him  to  learn  everything 
possible  about  the  Durhams  and  their  visitors;  in 
case  any  wagons  should  arrive,  it  was  agreed  that 
he  should  send  word  to  Mr.  Purdy  instantly. 
There  was  no  occasion  for  telling  him  the  whole 
story,  as  he  was  quite  willing  to  undertake  the 
trust  on  the  strength  of  Mr.  Purdy 's  request,  with- 
out asking  further  particulars;  and,  as  he  was  a 
thoroughly  discreet  man,  there  was  little  danger 
that  he  would  betray  his  mission  by  idle  talking. 
The  detectives  and  Mr.  Purdy  then  returned  to 
Verona,  it  being  considered  undesirable  that  they 
should  visit  the-- Durhams,  lest  they  might  pos- 
sibly excite  suspicion. 

The  day  following  their  visit  to  Wisbey,  he  ar- 
rived in  Verona  and  told  Cottrell  that  he  had 
sent  his  son-in-law,  Mr.  Stone,  to  see  Jim  Durham, 
and  the  latter  had  said  that  he  was  expecting  the 
arrival  of  some  relatives  very  soon.  He  had 
learned  further  that  the  young  man  who  had 
visited  Durham  in  the  latter  part  of  the  previous 
September  had  given  his  name  as  Levi  Farrington, 
and  had  passed  as  the  beau  of  the  young  Durham 
girl.  In  speaking  of  him,  Jim  Durham  had  told 
Mr.  Stone  that  he  did  not  wish  his  sister  to  marry 
Farrington,  as  the  latter  was  a  dangerous  man. 


THE  CHASE  BECOMING  HOT.  77 

and  had  recently  killed  a  man  in  a  quarrel,  while 
those  who  stood  about  were  too  much  afraid  of 
him  to  arrest  him.  Mr.  Wisbey  then  returned 
home,  with  instructions  to  alternate  with  Mr. 
Stone  in  secretly  watching  Durham's  place,  so  that 
every  occurrence  might  be  at  once  reported. 

On  the  tenth  of  December  I  received  a  dispatch 
from  Mr.  O'Brien,  saying  that  i  he  express  agent 
at  Springfield,  Missouri,  had  telegraphed  to  him 
on  the  eighth  that  the  wagons  of  Mrs.  Farrington's 
party  had  camped  five  miles  from  Springfield,  and 
that  the  three  men  were  known  to  be  sixty  miles 
south  of  Rolla.  Mr.  O'Brien  therefore  requested 
me  to  send  a  good  detective  to  meet  Conuell  in 
St.  Louis,  whence  they  would  go  together  to  cap- 
ture the  men  at  Eolla.  I  at  once  sent  one  of  my 
best  men,  named  Martin  Galway,  with  instruc- 
tions to  join  Connell,  and,  in  case  the  Eolla  report 
should  prove  to  be  a  false  alarm,  they  were  to  go 
on  to  Verona  to  assist  Cottrell  and  Marriott.  I 
had  hardly  completed  my  instructions  to  Galway, 
ere  I  received  a  telegram  in  cipher  from  Cottrell, 
as  follows: 

"Levi  Farrington  and  a  man  calling  himself 
George  Cousins  are  at  Durham's.  They  came  on 
Thursday  evening.  Shall  I  arrest  them  ?  I  can 
get  all  the  help  I  need." 

I  immediately  replied,  also  by  a  cipher  dispatch, 
as  follows: 

"Are  you  sure  it  is  Levi  Farrington?  His 
brother  and  Barton  will  probably  be  at  Verona 
soon.  We  must  get  the  whole.  I  think  they 


78  THE  CHASE  BECOMING  HOT. 

will  come  from  Douglas  County.  Probably  Con- 
nell  and  Galway  will  be  with  you  by  Monday  01 
Tuesday  night;  they  can  identify  the  men.  Mrs. 
Farrington  will  be  at  Durham's  by  Sunday  night 
or  Monday  morning.  Keep  a  cool,  clear  head,  anc* 
advise  with  Purdy.  Have  written  by  mail  to- 
night. Keep  me  posted. .  William  will  arrive  by 
Tuesday." 

At  the  same  time  I  wrote  full  instructions  to 
Cottrell,  ordering  him  to  keep  a  close  watch  upon 
the  men  at  Durham's,  but  to  take  no  action  until 
William  should  arrive,  unless  they  attempted  to 
go  away.  I  did  not  alter  Galway's  instructions, 
but  I  telegraphed  to  William  to  start  for  Verona 
at  once,  to  take  charge  of  the  operations  there. 
The  chase  was  now  becoming  hot,  and  a  few  days 
would  decide  the  question  of  success  or  failure.  I 
had  reason  to  believe  that  the  outlaws  would  not 
be  taken  without  a  desperate  resistance,  and  I 
was  anxious  to  have  William  present  to  direct 
the  attack. 

On  Sunday,  the  tenth  dottrell  and  Marriott 
rode  out  to  see  Wisbey,  who  met  them  just  out- 
side of  Verona  and  informed  them  that  Levi 
Farrington  had  arrived  at  Jim  Durham's  late 
Thursday  night,  accompanied  by  a  young  man 
named  George  Cousins.  They  did  not  receive 
my  reply  to  their  telegram  announcing  this  fact 
until  late  that  day,  and  so  they  could  do  nothing 
toward  satisfying  themselves  as  to  Levi  Farring- 
ton's  identity  until  next  morning,  when  they 
visited  Wisbey  at  his  own  house.  Mr.  Stone, 


THE  CHASE  BECOMING  HOT.  79 

Wisbey's  son-in-law,  had  met  a  man  named 
Smothers,  who  worked  for  Jim  Durham,  and 
Smothers  had  told  him  all  about  the  two  men 
who  had  just  arrived.  According  to  their  own 
account,  they  had  left  Mrs.  Farrington  at  Ash 
Grove,  in  Greene  County,  where  she  was  going  to 
buy  a  farm,  Levi  having  given  her  five  thousand 
dollars  for  that  purpose;  Levi  and  Cousins  were 
on  their  way  to  Kansas,  where  they  intended  to 
settle  down  to  raise  cattle;  Levi's  brother  was 
said  to  be  at  Lester's  Landing  for  the  purpose  of 
selling  off  a  stock  of  groceries  which  they  owned 
there.  Both  men  were  well  armed,  having  three 
navy  revolvers  and  a  shot-gun. 

When  this  news  was  transmitted  to  me  by 
telegraph,  I  decided  that  this  man  Cousins  must 
be  Barton,  and  that  Hillary  Farrington  might  pos- 
sibly be  at  Lester's  Landing,  as  they  said.  I 
therefore  telegraphed  to  William,  who  I  knew 
would  be  in  St.  Louis  that  day,  en  route  to 
Verona,  that  he  had  better,  take  Connell  and 
Galway  back  to  Lester's  to  capture  Hillary, 
while  Cottrell  and  Marriott  undertook  the  arrest 
of  Levi  and  Barton  at  Durham's.  I  also  sent  a 
dispatch  to  Cottrell  to  take  no  steps  for  their  ar- 
rest until  after  William  should  have  captured 
Hillary. 

William,  having  previously  thoroughly  ex- 
amined the  contents  of  the  store  at  Lester's, 
knew  that  they  were  not  worth  over  two  hundred 
dollars,  and  he  telegraphed  me  to  that  effect, 
suggesting  that  it  was  improbable  that  Hillary 


80  THE   OUTLAWS    SURROU1TOED. 

should  run  so  much  risk  for  so  small  a  sum.  On 
learning  this  fact,  I  coincided  with  him,  and 
ordered  him  to  go  on  to  Verona,  as  I  had  originally 
intended.  I  desired  that  he  should  keep  the 
Durham  place  carefully  watched  until  the  arrival 
of  the  other  Farrington,  who,  I  helieved,  would 
soon  join  the  rest  of  the  party;  then,  in  case  he 
arrived,  we  should  get  all  three  together;  but,  if 
the  other  two  should  show  any  signs  of  moving 
off,  they  could  be  taken  at  any  time. 

Mr.  O'Brien  obtained  requisitions  from  the 
Governor  of  Tennessee  on  the  Governor  of  Mis- 
souri for  the  three  men,  and  I  felt  that  success 
was  only  delayed  a  day  or  two  at  most. 


CHAPTER  VHI. 

A  determined  Party  of  Horsemen. — The  Outlaws  sur- 
rounded and  the  JSirds  caged, — A  Parley. — An 
affecting  Scene. — The  burning  Cabin. — Its  Occu- 
pants finally  surrender. 

"TTTHILE  the  telegrams  were  flying  back  and 
VV  forth  on  Tuesday,  the  twelfth,  Cottrell 
and  Marriott  were  busily  engaged.  Early  that 
morning  Mr.  Stone  came  to  Verona,  and  told 
them  that  he  had  learned  that  Farrington  and 
cousins  intended  to  leave  Durham's  for  the  In- 
dian Territory  the  next  day.  The  news  was 
doubtless  authentic,  Stone  having  heard  it  from 


THE  OUTLAWS   SUK11OUNDED.  81 

Smothers,  who  had  said  that  Farrington  had  told 
him  so  himself.  It  was  clearly  impossible  to  wail 
for  William's  arrival,  as,  by  that  time,  the  men 
might  be  safely  hidden  in  the  wild  country  to  tho 
westward.  Instant  action  was  absolutely  neces 
sary,  and  Cottrell  so  informed  Mr.  Purdy,  who 
soon  gathered  a  force  of  eight  men.  Very  little 
would  have  been  needed  to  obtain  even  a  larger 
number  of  recruits,  for,  had  Mr.  Purdy  and  the 
detectives  publicly  told  the  story  of  the  men 
whom  they  wished  to  capture,  there  would  have 
been  plenty  of  eager  volunteers,  all  anxious  to 
aid  in  ridding  the  country  of  such  a  band  of  out- 
laws. It  was  not  deemed  advisable,  however,  to 
summon  a  large  posse,  lest  the  news  might 
spread  so  fast  as  to  reach  the  ears  of  the  crimi- 
nals before  the  detectives  could  surround  them  ; 
on  this  account  only  a  few  reliable  men  were  let 
into  the  secret,  and  they  left  town  singly  and  in 
pairs  to  avoid  observation,  having  a  rendezvous 
outside. 

Just  before  starting,  Mr.  Purdy  received  a  dis- 
patch from  the  general  land  agent,  ordering  him 
to  Pearce  City  instantly,  as  several  purchasers  of 
land  were  awaiting  him  there  ;  although  he  tried 
to  have  his  visit  postponed  one  day,  he  was  un- 
successful, his  orders  being  imperatively  repeated 
by  telegraph,  and  so  he  was  unable  to  accompany 
the  detectives  and  citizens  on  their  expedition  to 
Durham's.  The  party  of  eight  met  the  detec- 
tives outside  the  town,  and  they  were  joined  on 
their  way  by  three  others,  who  lived  on  the  road. 

4* 


82  THE   OUTLAWS   SURROUNDED. 

They  were  all  substantial  business  men  or 
farmers,  but  they  were  accustomed  to  a  life  in 
the  saddle,  and  they  had  all  borne  arms  during 
the  war  on  one  side  or  the  other.  In  spite  of 
their  present  peaceful  occupations  they  were  not 
a  body  who  could  be  trifled  with,  and  it  was  evi- 
dent that  any  gang  of  desperadoes  would  find 
their  match  in  these  cool,  determined,  law-abid- 
ing men. 

A  few  miles  from  Verona  they  met  a  young 
lady  riding  a  large  brown  mule,  but  none  of  the 
men  in  the  party  knew  her.  CottreD  felt  sure, 
however,  that  she  was  Durham's  sister,  and  that 
she  was  riding  Farrington's  mule.  The  descrip- 
tions he  had  received  of  the  girl  from  Stone  and 
Wisbey  coincided  exactly  with  her  appearance, 
while  the  mule  could  not  be  mistaken.  He  there- 
fore sent  a  man  back  to  watch  her,  lest  she 
should  have  taken  alarm  at  so  large  a  cavalcade 
of  armed  men.  She  rode  on  to  Verona,  however, 
without  showing  any  signs  of  uneasiness,  and 
the  scout  soon  overtook  the  party. 

On  arriving  one  mile  from  Wisbey's,  Marriott 
went  on  to  Stone's  house  with  six  men,  while 
Cottrell  went  to  Wisbey's  with  the  other  five. 
Stone  and  Wisbey  soon  gathered  a  number  of 
the  neighbors,  among  whom  was  John  Ellis,  who 
owned  the  house  and  land  where  the  Durhams 
were  living;  he  was  a  very  highly  respected  citi- 
zen, and  was  not  at  all  displeased  at  the  idea  of 
getting  rid  of  his  semi-disreputable  tenants.  The- 
iii;m;igrment  of  the  affair  was  then  unpnimoiisly 


THE   OUTLAWS    SURROUNDED.  *  83 

voted  to  Cottrell,  and  the  party  rode  rapidly 
toward  the  Durham  house.  It  was  situated  at 
the  edge  of  a  clearing,  with  underbrush  and 
woodland  close  to  it  on  three  sides,  so  that  great 
caution  was  necessary,  lest  the  villains  should 
see  them  approaching,  and  escape  into  the  woods. 
At  a  reasonable  distance  from  the  house,  there- 
fore, the  party  divided,  a  part,  under  Marriott's 
direction,  dismounting  and  making  their  way  to 
the  rear  of  the  house  on  foot.  When  sufficient 
time  had  elapsed  to  enable  the  latter  party  to 
surround  the  house,  Cottrell,  with  the  remainder, 
dashed  up  to  the  front  of  the  house  and  spread 
out,  so  as  to  make  sure  that  no  one  should  escape. 
As  they  approached,  a  man,  who  proved  to  be 
Jim  Durham,  appeared  on  the  porch  and  asked 
what  they  wanted;  to  which  Cottrell  replied  that 
he  wanted  the  men  in  the  house. 

The  words  had  hardly  passed  his  lips  ere  Barton 
sprang  into  the  open  doorway  with  a  navy  revolvt  r 
leveled  at  Cottrell;  but,  seeing  that  the  latter,  as 
well  as  several  others,  had  him  covered,  he  shut 
the  door  quickly  and  started  for  the  back  of  the 
house.  By  this  time,  however,  the  cordon  of 
guards  had  drawn  close'  around,  and,  as  he 
emerged  at  the  rear,  he  found  himself  confronted 
by  half  a  dozen  determined  men,  who  ordered 
him  to  surrender.  He  then  hastily  tried  to  cl 
the  back  door  also,  and  pointed  his  revolver 
through  the  crack;  but  the  discharge  of  several 
shots,  which  struck  close  to  him,  caused  him  to 
withdraw  his  pistol  and  lightly  close  the  dour.  It 


84  THE  OUTLAWS  SURROUNDED. 

was  evident  that  the  birds  were  caged  a  G  las( ,  and 
it  was  now  only  a  question  of  time  when  they 
would  be  taken;  as  it  was  only  one  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  there  were  still  four  hours  of  daylight 
to  conduct  the  siege. 

Jim  Durham,  when  he  saw  the  rifles  and  revolv- 
ers of  so  large  a  force  pointed  at  him,  was  thor- 
oughly frightened,  and  he  begged  piteously  that 
they  would  not  shoot  him.  Cottrell  placed  his 
men  behind  trees,  fences,  and  other  protections, 
so  as  to  be  safe  from  any  attempt  to  pick  them  off 
by  the  men  in  the  house,  and  yet  to  guard  every 
means  of  exit  from  the  place;  he  then  called  Jim 
Durham  out  and  searched  him,  finding  nothing 
but  a  single-barreled  pistol.  He  then  sent  Jim  to 
the  door  of  the  house  to  summon  the  men  inside 
to  surrender,  telling  them  that  he  was  determined 
to  have  them — alive  if  possible,  but  if  not,  dead. 

They  refused  to  surrender,  saying  that  they 
would  kill  any  man  who  should  approach  the 
house.  When  Durham  brought  back  their  an- 
swer, Cottrell  sent  word  that  he  would  give  them 
five  minutes  in  which  to  decide  whether  they 
would  yield  peaceably  or  be  burned  out  and  shot 
;o  death.  Just  then  Mrs.  Durham,  the  mother 
)f  the  Durham  boys,  begged  Cottrell  to  allow 
ler  to  go  speak  to  Farrington  and  Barton,  as  she 
jelieved  she  could  induce  them  to  surrender. 
Accordingly,  she  went  to  the  front  window  and 
implored  them  not  to  have  the  house  burned 
down,  as  all  her  household  goods  would  be  de- 
stroyed. They  replied  that  they  might  as  weU 


THE   OUTLAWS  SURROUNDED  85 

die  inside  as  to  come  out  and  be  shot  down.  Cot- 
trell  sent  back  word  that  they  should  be  treated 
like  all  other  prisoners  if  they  would  pass  out 
their  arms  and  surrender  quietly;  but  if  they 
tried  to  fight  or  resist,  they  would  surely  be 
killed. 

As  they  still  refused,  Jim  Durham  was  sent  to 
barricade  the  doors  with  fence  rails,  so  that  they 
should  not  be  able  to  rush  out  unexpectedly.  '  He 
whined  and  complained  that  the  men  inside  would 
shoot  him,  but  he  was  obliged  to  go,  and  though 
they  did  threaten  him,  he  was  able  to  crawl  up 
and  lay  the  rails  without  getting  within  range. 
The  house  was  a  solid  log  cabin,  with  only  two 
doors  and  very  few  windows,  so  that  it  was  pos- 
sible to  approach  it  in  one  or  two  directions  with- 
out exposure  to  a  fire  from  within.  When  the 
doors  had  been  securely  barricaded,  Cottrell  or- 
dered him  to  get  on  the  roof,  which  was  a  com- 
mon shingle  roof,  and  set  fire  to  the  house.  Mrs. 
Durham  was  carrying  on  at  a  great  rate,  first 
begging  Farrington  to  surrender,  and  then  pray- 
ing to  Cottrell  not  to  burn  her  property.  John 
Ellis,  to  whom  the  house  belonged,  gave  full  per- 
mission to  burn  it,  and  a  fire  was  built  in  the 
open  air  to  make  brands  to  set  it  afire. 

Mrs.  Durham  was  allowed  to  make  one  more 
appeal  to  the  ruffians  inside,  but  they  would  not 
listen  to  her  entreaties.    They  asked  her,  how 
ever,  what  kind  of  a  looking  man  Cottrell  A- 
and  what  he  wanted  to  arrest  them  for.    Cottrell 
was  standing  near  enough  to  hear  thft  question, 


86  THE  OUTLAWS  SURROUNDED. 

and  after  Mrs.  Durham  had  described  his  appear- 
ance, he  told  them  that  he  wanted  them  foi  an 
express  robbery;  that  he  would  treat  them  kindly 
if  they  should  yield  peaceably;  but  if  they  should 
refuse  this,  his  last  offer,  he  should  set  fire  to  the 
house  and  shoot  them  down  as  they  ran  out.  He 
said  he  had  no  wish  to  kill  them,  but  that  he  was 
determined  they  should  not  escape;  rather  than 
allow  them  to  get  away,  he  would  have  them 
shot  on  sight;  but  they  would  be  protected  and 
brought  to  trial  if  they  would  surrender. 

To  this  they  replied  that  they  intended  killing 
some  of  their  besiegers  first,  anyhow.  Finding 
further  parley  useless,  therefore,  Cottrell  gave 
the  order  to  burn  the  building,  and  Durham  was 
forced  to  carry  the  embers  and  brands  to  burn 
his  own  premises.  Just  at  this  time,  the  young 
girl,  whom  they  had  met  riding  a  mule  toward 
Verona,  rode  up  to  the  house  and  asked  what 
was  the  matter.  As  Cottrell  had  surmised,  this 
was  Miss  Durham,  and  she  was  very  much 
frightened  at  what  she  saw. 

The  afternoon  sun  was  buried  in  a  deep  bank 
of  clouds,  so  that  the  twilight  was  rapidly  draw- 
ing on,  there  being  just  enough  light  to  show  the 
barricaded  doors,  the  deserted  porch,  and  the  de- 
termined men  scattered  around,  with  shot-guns 
and  rifles  pointed  at  the  low  log  cabin,  above 
which  a  frightened  man  stood  out  in  bold  relief 
against  the  sky,  tearing  off  the  shingles  and 
piling  them  upon  a  glowing  flame  at  his  feet. 
Everything  was  now  hushed  in  deathly  silence, 


THE  OUTLAWS  SURROUNDED.  87 

and  it  needed  no  explanation  for  any  one  to  un- 
derstand that  a  bloody  tragedy  was  about  to  occur 
if  that  flame  should  be  allowed  to  envelop  the 
building.  It  was  now  the  prison  of  its  two  oc- 
cupants, but  only  a  short  time  would  elapse 
before  it  would  be  their  tomb. 

On  seeing  the  situation,  Miss  Durham  asked  to 
be  allowed  to  speak  to  the  men,  as  she  said  she 
knew  they  would  listen  to  her.  On  Cottrell's  re- 
fusal to  hold  any  more  parley  with  them,  she 
burst  into  tears,  threw  her  arms  around  his  neck, 
and  implored  him  to  let  her  speak  to  Barton  just 
once,  if  only  for  five  minutes.  Finally,  seeing 
that  most  of  his  party  wished  to  give  the  girl  a 
chance  to  speak  to  her  sweetheart,  Cottrell  said 
that  she  could  have  three  minutes  to  obtain  their 
nuns;  if  they  surrendered  immediately,  the  fire 
should  be  put  out;  but,  if  they  should  still  refuse, 
their  last  chance  of  saving  the  house  and  their 
lives  would  be  gone.  Miss  Durham  then  went  to 
the  window,  and  talked  with  the  men  in  the  most 
imploring  manner,  urging  them  not  to  sacrifice 
themselves,  as  they  would  surely  do  if  they  re- 
in; i  ii lod  in  the  burning  house.  Her  entreaties  did 
not  seem  to  affect  them  at  first;  and,  as  the 
il; nnes  were  then  beginning  to  gather  strength, 
Cottrell  ordered  her  to  come  away  from  the 
house,  and  leave  them  to  their  fate.  She  ma<le 
one  more  appeal,  and  P>;uton  handed  her  a  navy 
revolver:  1hen  Farriiigton  did  the  same,  and  she 
brought  them  to  Cottrell,  saying  that  they  would 
surrender  if  they  rould  he  suiv  \liat  their  h 


88  THE  OUTLAWS  SURROUNDED. 

would  be  spared.  Cottrell  told  her  to  go  back 
and  get  the  rest  of  their  arms,  and  assure  them 
that  they  should  be  taken  to  Tennessee  for  trial. 
She  soon  returned  with  another  revolver  and  a 
shot-gun,  and  said  that  the  men  would  come  out. 
Cottrell  therefore  removed  the  rails,  opened  1  he 
front  door,  and  called  them  out — Barton  coming 
first,  and  then  Farrington.  The  latter  proved  to 
be  Hillary,  not  Levi,  as  he  had  called  himself.  It 
was  not  known  why  he  had  used  his  brother's 
name,  but  it  was  supposed  that  Hillary  had  taken 
his  name  to  enable  him  to  prove  an  alibi  in  case 
he  should  be  arrested. 

Cottrell's  party  first  secured  the  prisoners  with 
ropes,  and  then  assisted  Jim  Durham  to  extinguish 
the  fire  on  the  roof ;  the  latter  was  quite  rotten, 
and  it  had  burned  so  slowly  that  very  little  damage 
had  been  done.  The  prisoners  were  thoroughly 
searched,  but  nothing  of  any  consequence 
found  upon  them,  the  total  of  their  funds  being 
less  than  three  dollars.  A  prolonged  search 
through  the  house  revealed  nothing  of  importance, 
except  the  fact  that  it  was  quite  an  arsenal  for 
arms,  there  being  found  six  navy  revolvers,  t  \vo 
double-barreled  shot-guns,  and  a  Spencer  repeat- 
ing rifle.  The  siege  had  lasted  nearly  three  hours, 
and,  another  hour  having  been  spent  in  searching 
the  house  and  saddling  their  animals,  it  was  nearly 
dark  by  the  time  they  started  for  Verona.  Far- 
rington and  Barton  were  carefully  tied  upon  the 
horse  and  mule  respectively,  and,  after  thanking 
the  neighboring  farmers  for  their  assistance,  (  <  .1  - 


THE  OUTLAWS  SURROUNDED.  89 

trell  took  the  road  back,  accompanied  bj  the 
eleven  men  who  belonged  in  and  about  Verona. 
The  greatest  care  was  taken  that  the  prisoners 
should  have  no  opportunity  for  escape,  and  they 
were  informed  that  any  attempt  to  get  away 
would  be  the  signal  for  riddling  them  with  bullets. 

"While  riding  along*  Cottrell  learned  from  Bar- 
ton that  the  party  had  been  very  lucky  in  finding 
the  two  men  in  the  house,  since  their  usual  cus- 
tom had  been  to  spend  the  days  in  the  woods, 
coming  in  only  at  night  to  sleep.  On  this  occa- 
sion, however,  the  weather  was  so  cold  that  they 
were  spending  the  day  indoors. 

When  asked  why  they  had  not  surrendered  be- 
fore, they  both  made  the  same  reply,  namely: 
that  they  believed  the  posse  of  citizens  intended 
either  to  shoot  them  immediately,  or  to  hang 
them  after  a  trial  by  lynch  law. 

On  arriving  in  Verona  early  in  the  evening,  the 
prisoners  were  securely  tied  up  with  ropes,  and 
Cottrell  alternated  during  the  night  with  Marriott 
in  watching  them.  A  blacksmith  was  also  called 
up,  and  shortly  after  midnight  he  completed  two 
pair  of  leg  shackles,  with  which  they  were  fast- 
ened together.  My  men  were  greatly  fatigued, 
1  laving  ridden  a  large  number  of  miles  every  day 
for  a  week,  and  the  excitement  of  the  affair 
added,  of  course,  to  their  prostration,  but  they 
resolutely  paced  the  floor  in  alternate  four-hour 
watches,  determined  that  no  possible  loophole  for 
escape  should  again  be  afforded  to  such  daring 
villains  as  these  two. 


90  THE  OUTLAWS  SURROUNDED. 

The  result  of  the  expedition  was,  of  course, 
transmitted  to  me  in  telegraphic  cipher  at  once; 
but  the  arrest  was  kept  secret  for  the  time,  in  or- 
der to  prevent  a  knowledge  of  it  coming  to  Levi 
Farrington,  who  was  still  at  large.  According  to 
Barton,  Levi  was  concealed  somewhere  in  Ten- 
nessee, but  this  statement  was  proof  positive  that 
he  was  not  in  Tennessee  at  all,  since  Barton's  ob- 
ject in  telling  anything  about  him  was  evidently 
intended  to  mislead  us;  hence,  no  faith  was 
put  in  his  story,  and  other  steps  were  taken  to 
capture  Levi. 

William  arrived  in  Verona  on  the  morning 
after  the  fight,  and  he  prepared  to  return  with 
the  prisoners  to  St.  Louis  by  the  noon  train.  It 
was  supposed  that  Levi  Farrington  was  also  on 
his  way  to  the  rendezvous  at  Durham's  farm, 
and  that  he  would  probably  approach  by  the 
direct  road  through  Douglas  County.  Cottrell 
and  Marriott  were  left,  therefore,  to  attend  to 
Levi  and  the  old  lady,  whose  whereabouts  were 
still  uncertain.  William  saw  most  of  the  citi- 
zens engaged  in  the  affair,  and  heartily  thanked 
them  for  their  aid;  being  questioned  as  to  whether 
they  should  receive  the  reward  of  one  thousand 
dollars  offered  by  the  express  company  for  the 
capture  of  the  two  Farringtons  and  Barton,  he 
informed  them  that  he  considered  them  entitled 
to  it,  and  that  he  should  recommend  its  payment . 
but  that  the  matter  would  be  decided  by  the  offi- 
cers of  the  company.  I  may  here  anticipate 
events  somewhat  to  state  that  tho  company  paid 


BARTON'S  CONFESSION.  91 

fcho  citizens  and  farmers  a  liberal  amount  for  theii 
services  in  capturing  the  robbers,  and  a  sottle- 
ment  was  made  which  was  satisfactory  to  all  par- 
ties. 

William  left  Verona  about  noon  of  the  day  he 
arrived,  taking  Hillary  Farrington  and  Barton 
with  him,  under  guard  of  Galway  and  Connell. 
On  arriving  in  St.  Louis,  he  separated  the  prison- 
ers in  order  to  induce  Barton  to  confess;  and, 
after  a  long  conversation,  in  which  he  showed 
Barton  how  conclusive  was  the  evidence  against 
all  three  of  the  men,  he  obtained  a  very  full  con- 
fession, of  which  the  greater  part  is  here  giveii 
exactly  as  it  was  taken  down  from  Barton's  lips. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Barton's  Confession. — The  Express  Robberies  and  the. 
Outlaws'  subsequent  Experiences  fully  set  forth  there- 
in.— A  Clue  that  had  been  suddenly  dropped  ii'km. 
up  with  so  much  Profit,  that,  after  a  desperate  Strug- 
gle, another  Desperado  is  Captured. 

11  T  AM  twenty- two  years  of  age,"  said  Barton, 
-L  "  and  my  native  place  was  Columbus,  Mis- 
sissippi. When  quite  young,  I  left  home  and 
took  to  following  the  army.  About  five  or  six 
years  ago  I  moved  to  Normandy,  Tennessee,  and 
lived  with  the  family  of  Major  Land  is,  and  t\vn 
or  three  years  later,  I  went  to  work  on  the  Nash- 


92  BARTON'S  CONFESSION. 

\ille  and  Northwestern  Railroad  as  a  brakeman, 
remaining  as  such  over  two  years.  About  three 
years  since  I  formed  thf  acquaintance  of  Hillary 
and  Levi  Farrington,  at  Waverly,  Tennessee. 
These  are  the  men  otherwise  known  as  J.  H. 
Clark  and  Edward  J.  Russell.  Afterward  I  opened 
a  saloon  in  Nashville,  and  Levi  Harrington  vis- 
ited me  there  several  times.  Last  April  or  May 
he  was  arrested  on  suspicion  of  counterfeiting, 
but  as  there  was  no  case  against  him,  he  was  dis- 
charged. After  a  short  time,  I  went  down  to  visit 
Levi  at  Mrs.  Farrington's;  she  lived  at  the  head 
of  Tumbling  Run  Creek,  twelve  miles  back  of  Gil- 
lem  Station.  Hillary  was  in  jail  at  Memphis  at 
that  time,  charged  with  murder  and  horse-steal- 
ing. When  he  got  out  of  jail,  Levi,  Hillary,  and 
myself  all  made  a  trip  to  Little  Rock,  Arkan- 
sas, gambling  by  throwing  three-card  monte,  and 
we  won  about  thirteen  hundred  dollars;  we  tlr-n 
returned  to  Gillem  Station,  where  we  remained 
until  the  twenty-first  of  July,  this  year.  During 
this  time,  Levi,  who  frequently  rode  back  and 
forth  on  the  express  trains,  spoke  of  the  feasibil- 
ity of  robbing  them. 

"  On  the  morning  of  July  21,  Levi,  Hillary,  and 
myself  left  Gillem  Station  for  the  purpose  of  rob- 
bing the  express  train  at  some  of  the  stations 
cither  on  that  road  or  on  the  Mobile  and  Ohio 
Railroad.  At  Union  City  we  changed  cars,  and 
arrived  at  Moscow  just  after  dark.  The  plan  was, 
that  we  all  three  should  enter  the  car  and  over- 
power the  messenger;  but  Levi  and  Hillary  were 


BARTON'S  CONFESSION.  93 

tho  only  ones  who  entered.  I  remained  on  the 
platform  of  the  first  passenger  coach  and  kept 
watch.  When  the  train  was  passing  the  water 
tank,  they  slacked  up  the  speed,  and  we  all 
jumped  off  and  struck  for  the  woods.  The  mes- 
senger had  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  this 
robbery,  so  far  as  I  was  ever  informed. 

"As  I  said  before,  we  struck  into  the  woods 
and  reached  the  river  just  above  Hickman,  where 
wo  stole  a  fisherman's  skiff,  and  all  three  of  us 
started  down  the  river.  Finding  that  we  were 
pursued,  we  left  tho  skiff  on  the  Tennessee  shore, 
near  Island  Number  Ten.  We  then  took  the 
fiver  road  and  walked  back  as  far  as  Lester's 
Landing,  arriving  there  about  dinner-time,  July 
23.  Levi  divided  the  money,  giving  me  one-third 
of  one  thousand  dollars,  which  was  all,  he  said, 
in  the  safe,  although  I  always  believed  there  wa.i 
more. 

"So  far  as  I  know,  neither  of  the  Farringtons 
had  ever  met  Lester  before,  and  I  am  sure  that  I 
had  never  set  eyes  on  him  until  we  went  to  his 
place  at  this  time.  *0n  account  of  the  spot  being 
so  lonely  and  isolated,  Hillary  proposed  that  we 
put  up  a  store  there,  as  it  would  be  a  good  cover 
for  our  actual  business.  We  started  the  store, 
and  applied  to  the  postmaster  to  establish  a  post- 
office,  to  be  known  as  Lester's  Landing  ;  our  ob- 
jort  in  this  move  was,  of  course,  to  give  an  addod 
color  of  respectability  and  boiw  fid-  nu-iiii'-s  to 
our  transactions.  From  this  time  until  the  mid- 
dle of  October,  I  remained  at  the  store  nearly  jJJ 


94  BARTON'S  CONFESSION. 

the  time  ;  Hillary  was  also  there  most  of  the  time, 
but  Levi  very  seldom.  During  one  of  the  latter's 
western  trips,  he  said  he  had  bcvn  out  to  see  his 
Aunt  Durham. 

''Along  in  October,  Levi  proposed  that  we 
again  strike  the  express  company  when  the  train 
stopped  for  supper  at  Union  City.  Hillary  had 
been  in  the  habit  of  riding  back  and  forth  on  the 
engine,  and  he  understood  how  to  run  a  train. 
Levi  suggested  that  we  take  a  man  named  BiU 
Taylor  into  the  robbery  with  us ;  he  was  then 
employed  chopping  wood  for  Lester,  and  when 
Levi  approached  him  on  the  subject  he  agreed  to 
go.  Levi  left  Lester's  a  few  days  before  the  rob- 
bery. Hillary  and  I  did  not  leave  until  the  nine- 
teenth, when  we  went  up  to  Columbus  by  steamer, 
taking  along  a  large  quantity  of  fish.  Having 
sold  our  fish,  we  took  the  train  for  Union  City, 
where  we  arrived  the  same  evening.  On  getting 
off  the  train,  we  met  Levi  and  Bill  Taylor  on  the 
platform,  and  the  only  conversation  which  took 
place  was  when  Levi  asked  why  we  had  not  ar- 
rived sooner,  to  which  we  replied  that  we  came 
as  soon  as  we  could.  The  next  morning  we  met 
again,  having  slept  in  separate  places  so  as  not  to 
attract  attention,  and  went  down,  the  road  some 
distance  toward  Hickman.  While  camped  in  the 
woods  that  evening,  about  ten  o'clock,  an  old 
man  named  Hicks  came  along  with  a  bottle  of 
whisky  and  stopped  at  our  camp-fire  quite  a 
time.  There  were  present  Hillary,  Levi,  myself. 
and  Bill  Taylor.  We  remained  in  the  woods  all 


BARTON'S  CONFESSION.  95 

that  night.  The  next  day  we  moved  further  into 
the  woods  toward  Hickman,  and  at  night,  just  at 
dark,  we  came  back  to  Union  City. 

"  We  had  been  there  only  a  few  minutes  when 
the  up  train  came  along;  she  stopped  and  backed 
down  a  little  ways,  when  all  the  train  hands  left 
her  and  went  to  supper.  Hillary  and  Taylor 
then  boarded  the  engine,  and  Levi  and  myself 
jumped  aboard  the  express  car.  The  messenger 
was  eating  his  supper  when  we  went  in,  and, 
seeing  Levi  point  a  Derringer  at  him,  he  ex- 
claimed: 'Don't  shoot  me  !  I  will  surrender.' 
Levi  compelled  him  to  unlock  the  safe,  and  we 
took  all  the  money.  Levi  then  swung  the  mes- 
senger's lantern,  and  the  train  stopped,  when  we 
all  jumped  off  and  started  down  the  railroad  to 
Hickman.  Our  intention  was  to  go  to  the  wood- 
yard  near  Union  City,  and  steal  a  ride  on  a  freight 
train  to  Hickman.  We  hid  under  the  platform 
at  the  wood-yard,  and  while  there  Levi  acciden- 
tally shot  himself  in  the  thigh;  but  the  wound 
was  very  slight,  and  it  hardly  interfered  with  his 
walking.  As  the  freight  train  did  not  stop,  we 
were  obliged  to  walk  to  Hickman,  where  we  ar- 
rived Sunday  night.  We  had  had  some  provis- 
ions when  we  first  camped  out,  which  Bill  Tay- 
lor had  carried  in  a  valise;  but  he  had  left  the 
valise  and  all  its  contents  on  the  engine,  so  that 
we  had  very  little  to  eat. 

"While  in  the  woods  we  divided  the  money, 
but  Levi,  who  carried  it,  showed  up  only  twenty 
three  hundred  dollars. 


96  BARTON'S  CONFESSION. 

"  Sunday  night  we  stole  a  skiff  in  Hickman 
and  went  down  the  river  to  James'  Bayou,  and 
while  there,  on  Monday  morning,  wo  saw  Mes- 
senger Cross,  whose  car  had  been  robbed,  making 
inquiries  about  us  in  a  grocery-store.  We  then 
started  off  on  foot,  going  down  the  river  on  the 
Missouri  shore.  About  a  mile  below  James' 
Bayou  we  found  the  skiff  which  we  had  previously 
set  adrift,  and  which  had  evidently  been  picked 
up  by  some  one.  Taking  this  skiff  again,  Hillary, 
Taylor,  and  I  dropped  down  to  a  point  about  a  mile 
above  Lester's,  leaving  Levi  on  the  Missouri  shore, 
where  we  started  from.  We  landed  on  the  Ten- 
nessee shore,  and  walked  down  the  river  road  a 
short  distance,  when  Taylor  left  us,  remaining  in 
the  woods.  Hillary  and  I  met  Lester  on  the 
road  soon  afterward,  and  told  him  that  we  had 
come  down  on  a  steamboat  which  was  then  tied 
up,  on  account  of  the  heavy  fog.  Lcvi  arrived 
next  day,  having  come  across  the  river  with  a 
fisherman. 

"The  following  Sunday,  October  29,  Hillary 
left  on  a  steamboat,  taking  with  him  a  woman 
named  Slaughter,  with  whom  he  said  he  was  go- 
ing to  Davidson's  wood-yard,  nine  miles  above 
Cape  Girardeau.  He  expected  to  return  in  a  few 
days. 

' '  The  next  thing  of  any  importance  which  oc- 
<  urred  was  on  the  Tuesday  night  following,  when 
Messrs.  Pinkerton  and  Connell  rode  up  to  Lester's 
house.  At  the  first  glance,  I  thought  they  were 
officers,  and  Levi  told  me  that  he  thought  the 


BARTON'S  CONFESSION.  97 

tiame.  I  saw  him  pull  his  pistol  out  of  his 
pocket  before  getting  out  of  his  chair." 

[The  moment  Connell  opened  the  door,  Levi 
knew  that  he  was  a  detective,  having  seen  him 
acting  in  that  capacity  in  Memphis,  when  Hil- 
lary was  arrested  for  horse-stealing  the  previous 
spring.] 

' '  When  I  made  my  escape  from  Lester's  house, " 
continued  Barton,  "  I  ran  right  back  through  the 
cornfield;  I  heard  all  the .  shooting,  but  did  not 
see  it.  In  a  short  time  Levi  joined  me  in  the 
cane-brake  back  of  the  cornfield.  Levi  told  me 
that  he  had  had  a  shooting  match  with  the  two 
officers,  but  he  did  not  know  whether  he  had  hit 
either  of  them  or  not;  they  had  not  hit  him,  but 
he  had  had  a  very  narrow  escape. 

"  After  awhile  we  slipped  up  to  the  house,  and 
saw  that  the  officers  were  gone;  so  we  went  in, 
got  our  supper,  and  took  our  pistols,  besides  a 
shawl  and  blanket.  We  then  got  an  old  skiff, 
crossed  the  river,  and  slept  in  the  woods  on  the 
Missouri  shore.  The  next  day  we  remained  under 
cover  until  nightfall,  when  we  recrossed  the  river, 
and  went  through  the  woods  to  Union  City, 
spending  Wednesday  night  and  Thursday  in  the 
woods  on  the  way.  On  Thursday  night  we  took 
the  train  from  Union  City  to  Gillem  Station.  The 
conductor  of  the  train  was  Conductor  Roberts,  on 
whose  run  I  had  formerly  been  brakeman;  and, 
being  afraid  he  might  recognize  ine,  I  laid  down 
in  my  seat  and  covered  up  my  face,  while  Levi 
paid  both  fares.  We  arrived  at  Gillem  Station 

5 


98  BARTON'S  CONFESSION. 

about  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  reached 
Mrs.  Farrington's  house  about  daylight. 

"I  gave  Mrs.  Farrington  five  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  in  money  to  keep  for  me,  this  amount 
being  the  proceeds  of  both  express  robberies,  and 
she  still  has  it  in  her  possession.  Before  leaving 
Lester's,  Hillary  had  given  most  of  his  money  to 
Levi  to  take  to  their  mother  to  keep  for  him,  and 
Levi  left  with  her  nearly  the  whole  of  his  share  of 
the  plunder  also. 

"We  had  been  at  Mrs.  Farrington's  a  week 
when  Hillary  arrived.  Before  this,  we  all  thought 
that  the  officers  had  captured  him,  and  we  were 
quite  surprised  to  see  him  safe.  He  said  that 
Detective  Connell  had  arrested  him  at  Mrs.  Gully's, 
and  that  he  had  made  his  escape  by  jumping  out 
of  Connell's  wagon  into  a  thicket  near  Allenville; 
he  had  then  gone  right  back  to  the  house  where 
he  had  left  Mrs.  Slaughter,  where  he  got  a  pistol 
and  some  money,  and  had  his  irons  removed. 

"At  the  time  Hillary  arrived  at  Mrs.  Farring- 
ton's, the  old  lady  had  been  gone  a  day  and  a  night 
on  her  way  to  Texas  or  Missouri.  It  was  under- 
stood that  Levi  and  I  were  to  meet  her  some- 
where on  the  road,  or  at  Holton's  farm,  near  the 
line  between  Lawrence  and  Dade  Counties,  Mis- 
souri. The  day  after  Hillary  arrived,  we  started 
for  Missouri;  I  was  riding  a  sorrel  horse;  Hillary, 
a  chestnut-sorrel  horse;  and  Levi,  a  large  brown 
mule.  We  spent  two  days  at  the  house  of  Mr* 
Douglas,  near  Mrs.  Farrington's,  and  then  crossed 
the  Tennessee  Kiver  at  Cuba.  We  crossed  the 


BARTON'S  CONFESSION.  99 

Mississippi  River  by  the  last  ferryboat  on  Friday 
evening,  November  10,  at  Hall's  Ferry,  opposite 
Point  Pleasant,  Missouri.  We  saw  no  men  on 
guard  at  the  ferries.  We  struck  right  out  through 
Nigger- Wool  Swamp  to  Bloomfield,  where  Levi 
left  us.  He  said  he  was  going  to  Farmington, 
Illinois,  as  that  was  a  good  place  to  keep  under 
cover.  After  he  left  us,  nothing  important  oc- 
curred until  our  arrest.  We  knew  where  Mrs. 
Farrington  was  eveiy  night,  and  also  knew  all 
about  the  two  men  who  were  following  her;  we 
did  not  mind  letting  them  follow  her,  as  they 
could  not  have  captured  us,  and  we  could  have 
shaken  them  off  at  any  time  if  we  had  wanted  to 
do  so. 

"Levi  and  Hillary  frequently  spoke  of  making 
other  raids  upon  the  express  company,  and  said 
what  a  soft  thing  it  was.  It  was  my  intention  to 
separate  from  them  as  soon  as  I  could  get  my 
money  from  the  old  lady,  as  I  wished  to  return  to 
my  friends  below  Columbus,  Mississippi. 

"The  foregoing  is  all  I  know  of  the  Farring- 
tons  or  the  express  robberies. 

(Signed),         '  *  WILLIAM  BARTON.  " 

It  will  be  observed  how  completely  this  confes- 
sion corroborated  our  investigations,  there  being 
IV  w  new  points  learned.  The  information  that 
Mrs.  Farrington  had  possession  of  nearly  all  the 
stolen  money  was  valuable,  and  I  sent  instruc- 
tions to  Cottrell,  at  once,  to  attach  all  of  her 
property  in  the  name  of  the  Southern  Express 


100  BARTON'S  CONFESSION. 

Company,  if  it  could  be  done.  But  the  most  im- 
portant feature  brought  out  was  the  hiding- 
place  of  Levi  Farrington,  which  was  given  as 
Farmington,  Illinois.  It  will  be  remembered  that 
William  found,  at  the  store  at  Lester's  Landing, 
some  pieces  of  paper,  upon  which  was  scribbled, 
1 v Kate  Graham,  Farmington,  Illinois;"  that  I 
sent  a  detective  to  that  place  to  see  Mrs.  Graham  ; 
that  the  latter  answered,  with  every  evidence  of 
truthfulness,  that  she  did  not  know  Eussell, 
Clark,  or  Barton ;  and  that  the  clue  was  dropped 
immediately.  From  Barton,  however,  William 
learned  that  Mrs.  Kate  Graham  was  a  cousin  of 
the  Farringtons,  and  that,  being  a  highly  respect- 
able and  conscientious  woman,  she  knew  nothing 
of  their  aliases,  nor  of  their  crimes.  It  was  there 
that  Levi  Farrington  had  gone  to  hide.  Barton's 
confession  was  made  on  the  fourteenth,  and 
William  instantly  sent  me  a  cipher  dispatch  con- 
taining the  important  features  of  it.  By  the 
evening  train  of  that  day,  my  other  son,  Robert 
A.  Pinkerton,  took  passage  for  Farmington,  ac- 
companied by  Detective  W.  T.  Brown,  of  my 
force.  They  arrived  there  about  noon  the  next 
day,  and  soon  learned  that  Levi  Farrington  was 
staying  with  his  relatives.  Having  presented 
letters  of  introduction  to  one  or  two  influential 
inen,  Robert  obtained  an  introduction  to  the 
city  marshal,  who  promised  to  give  all  the  aid  in 
his  power  to  arrest  Farrington. 

About  two  o'clock  they  saw  the  latter  coming 
down  the  street,  and,  by  previous  arrangement, 


BARTON'S  CONFESSION.  101 

« 

Robert  allowed  Levi  to  pass  him,  both  walking 
toward  Brown  and  the  marshal.  Levi  Farring- 
ton  was  a  veiy  powerful  man,  standing  six  feet 
in  his  stockings,  with  a  frame  and  muscles  in 
proportion  to  his  size.  Remembering  the  desper- 
ate character  of  the  man,  Robert  did  not  deem  it 
advisable  to  give  him  any  chance  to  draw  a 
weapon  or  show  fight;  he  therefore  followed 
Farrington  closely  until  he  was  about  ten  feet 
from  the  marshal,  and  then,  springing  at  him, 
he  pinioned  the  desperado's  arms  by  clasping  him 
tightly  around  the  body  just  at  the  elbows. 
Farrington  did  not  stop  to  question  the  cause  of 
this  proceeding — he  knew  the  reason  of  his  seiz- 
ure well  enough — but,  gathering  his  whole 
strength,  he  made  one  jump  away  from  the 
two  officers  who  were  approaching  in  front,  and 
landed  nearly  in  the  middle  of  the  street,  taking 
Robert  along  with  him.  Robert  clung  to  him 
like  a  vise,  however,  and  before  he  could  make 
another  such  an  effort,  the  other  two  were  upon 
him.  A  terrible  struggle  now  ensued  in  the 
street,  during  which  both  Robert  and  Brown  were 
badly  bruised  by  being  rolled  upon  and  kicked  by 
their  powerful  prisoner.  Robert  knew  that  Far- 
rington was  desperate  enough  to  fight  to  the 
bitter  end,  and  that  he  would  kill  as  many  as  he 
could  before  being  killed  himself;  to  release  his 
arms,  therefore,  would  enable  him  to  draw  a 
weapon,  as  he  was  undoubtedly  well  armed,  hence 
Robert  never  relaxed  his  hold.  Having  a  profes- 
sional pride  in  securing  his  prisoner  alive,  more- 


102  BARTON'S  CONFESSION. 

over,  he  did  not  wish  to  resort  to  extreme  measures 
except  to  save  the  lives  of  other  persons,  and,  a<? 
a  large  crowd  had  gathered  around  the  moment 
the  struggle  began,  there  would  have  been  evident 
danger  in  allowing  him  an  instant's  freedom 
Over  and  over  they  rolled  together,  therefore, 
Farrington  striving  with  all  his  strength  to  break 
Robert's  clasp  upon  his  arms,  while  the  other  two 
officers  were  doing  their  best  to  pinion  his  legs. 
After  a  ten  minutes'  struggle,  they  succeeded  at 
length  in  holding  him  down  and  sitting  upon  his 
legs  until  he  could  be  tied  with  ropes.  By  this 
time,  the  whole  party  were  pretty  thoroughly 
exhausted,  but,  after  resting  a  few  minutes  to 
recover  their  breath,  the  officers  got  handcuffs  on 
their  prisoner's  wrists,  and  took  him  to  the  rail- 
road station,  where  he  was  searched.  Little 
money  was  found  on  his  person,  but  he  had  a  large 
revolver,  two  Derringer  pistols,  and  a  large  dirk 
concealed  about  him.  He  was  then  placed  in  the 
freight  office,  while  Brown  and  Mr.  Graham,  Mrs. 
Kate  Graham's  husband,  went  to  the  latter's 
house  to  get  Levi's  baggage.  On  their  return, 
the  whole  party  took  passage  for  Chicago,  whei  e 
they  did  not  arrive  until  next  day,  owing  to  the 
failure  to  make  connections.  In  Levrs  valise 
were  found  two  revolvers,  some  jewelry,  and  a 
very  large  sum  of  money. 

They  arrived  so  late  on  Saturday  that  there 
was  no  train  for  Cairo  before  the  following  even- 
ing, and  meantime  the  prisoner  required  the 
most  careful  watching,  as  none  of  our  handcuff  a 


BARTON'S  CONFESSION.  103 

were  large  enough  to  fit  his  wrists  without  cut- 
ting into  the  flesh.  Eobert  and  Brown  were  com- 
pletely prostrated  by  the  strain  upon  their  muscles 
and  the  injuries  they  had  received,  so  that  they 
felt  the  effects  of  the  struggle  for  several  days. 

The  moment  that  Eobert  arrived  in  Chicago 
with  his  prisoner,  the  latter  was  taken  to  the 
First  Precinct  police  station,  where  he  was  placed 
in  a  cell  for  safe  keeping.  During  the  afternoon 
it  was  learned  that  he  had  sent  for  a  lawyer  to 
obtain  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus.  The  arrest  had 
been  made  without  any  warrant,  and  no  requisi- 
tion had  been  obtained  for  use  in  Illinois,  as  I  had 
expected  to  capture  all  three  of  the  men  in  Mis- 
souri. Should  Farrington  succeed  in  getting  the 
desired  writ,  I  should  be  forced  to  give  up  my 
hold  upon  him,  and,  before  the  requisition  of  the 
Governor  of  Tennessee  upon  the  Governor  of  Il- 
linois could  be  received,  he  would  be  probably 
beyond  the  reach  of  pursuit. 

I  therefore  procured  a  closed  vehicle  and  took 
the  prisoner  out  for  a  drive,  .carefully  bound,  with 
two  reliable  men  as  guards.  The  afternoon  was 
thus  spent,  and,  after  dark,  there  being  no  longer 
any  object  in  driving  around  the  suburbs  of  the 
city,  Farrington  was  taken  to  my  office  and  kept 
all  night.  He  behaved  very  well,  and  did  not 
seem  anxious  to  get  away  by  force.  He  tried, 
however,  to  induce  Robert  to  let  him  go,  telling 
him  that  it  would  be  worth  a  very  large  amount 
of  money  to  him  to  do  so.  Finding  his  offers  dis- 
regarded, he  appeared  to  take  his  arrest  very 


104  A  TERRIBLE  STRUGGLE   FOR  LIFE. 

coolly,   saying  that  he  guessed  he  had  monpy 
enough  to  see  him  through. 

On  Sunday  evening,  Robert  and  Brown  took 
him  to  the  railroad  station,  and  the  party  em- 
barked for  Cairo. 


CHAPTER  X. 

A  terrible  Struggle  for  Life  or  Death  upon  the  Transfer- 
boat  "Illinois." — "Overboard!" — One  less  ^Des- 
perado.— The  Fourth  and  Last  Robber  taken. 

AFTER  Barton  had  made  his  confession 
to  William  in  St.  Louis,  the  prisoners, 
Hillary  Farrington  and  Barton,  were  kept  separate, 
as  the  latter  was  afraid  that  Hillary  would  find 
some  means  of  killing  him.  About  midnight  of 
Thursday,  December  fourteenth,  they  all  took 
passage  by  railroad  for  Cairo,  and  there  they  im- 
mediately went  on  board  the  large  transfer-boat 
to  Columbus,  Kentucky.  All  the  detectives  were 
thoroughly  worn  out  from  excitement  and  loss  of 
sleep,  but  they  did  not  for  an  insant  relax  their 
vigilant  watch  upon  their  prisoners.  William 
had  been  talking  for  some  time  with  HilLuy, 
trying  to  obtain  a  confession  and  to  learn  what 
had  been  done  with  the  money  secured  at  the  ! 
robberies.  From  the  questions  that  William 
asked,  Hillary  soon  learned,  or  surmised,  that 
Barton  had  confessed.  He  was  terribly  enraged 


A  TERRIBLE  STRUGGLE  FOR  LIFE.  105 

ac  this,  and  without  doubt  he  would  have  killed 
Barton  if  he  could  have  got  at  him;  but  being 
unable  to  do  so,  his  fury  was  all  turned  upon  his 
captors. 

My  son  hoped  by  threatening  to  have  Mrs. 
Farrington  arrested  and  imprisoned,  to  induce 
Hillary  to  give  up  his  share  of  the  plunder  rather 
than  have  his  mother  punished.  This  threat 
seemed  to  infuriate  him  beyond  anything,  and  he 
swore  that  he  would  have  his  revenge  on  William 
if  he  had  to  wait  twenty  years  for  it.  After  sitting 
sullenly  thinking  on  the  subject  for  a  time,  he 
said  he  was  cold,  and  wanted  to  get  a  drink. 
William  therefore  offered  to  go  with  him  into  the 
baivroom,  and  they  walked  toward  the  forward 
end  of  the  saloon,  leaving  Galway  and  Barton 
seated  together.  Connell  had  gone  into  the 
water-closet  a  few  moments  before,  but,  as  there 
was  a  detective  with  each  of  the  prisoners,  no 
attempt  at  escape  was  anticipated. 

The  steamer  was  the  powerfully -built  transfer- 
boat  "  Illinois,"  and  she  was  running  with  great 
speed,  her  ponderous  wheels  revolving  at  an  un- 
usually rapid  rate.  The  bar-room  was  situated 
just  forward  of  the  saloon,  after  passing  through 
the  barber  shop,  and  it  could  be  entered  from  the 
saloon  or  through  a  door  leading  upon  the  guards, 
iust  forward  of  the  paddle-box. 

As  they  were  about  to  enter  the  barber  shop 
from  the  saloon,  Hillary  drew  back,  saying  that 
lu»  did  not  want  to  go  that  way,  as  there  were 
Borne  men  in  that  room  whom  lie  knew.  Thoy 

5* 


100  A  TERRIBLE  STRUGGLE  FOR  LIFE. 

therefore  went  out  upon  the  guards  to  walk  along 
to  the  outer  door  of  the  bar-room.  The  space 
was  narrow,  and  the  rail  quite  low,  so  that  it 
would  not  have  been  at  all  difficult  for  a  man  to 
spring  overboard,  even  though  he  were  in  irons. 
This  idea  occurred  to  William,  but  he  did  not 
trouble  himself  about  it,  since  he  knew  that  the 
heavy  strokes  of  the  paddle-wheel  would  instantly 
kill  any  one  who  might  attempt  such  a  thing. 
William  wore  a  loose-fitting  sack  coat  with  large 
pockets,  in  one  of  which  he  earned  a  heavy  army 
revolver,  which  he  had  taken  from  Hillary,  his 
own  revolver  being  in  his  belt.  In  walking  it 
was  his  habit  to  put  his  hand  on  the  butt  of  this 
army  revolver,  which  protruded  somewhat  f^om 
the  pocket.  On  reaching  the  door,  however,  he 
took  his  right  hand  from  the  pistol  to  turn  the 
knob.  This  was  a  careless  action,  of  which  he 
never  would  have  been  guilty,  had  he  been  less 
fatigued,  mentally  and  physically,  but,  being  so 
used  up  as  to  act  almost  mechanically,  his  habit- 
ual though  tfulness  was  momentarily  absent,  and 
he  was  caught  off  his  guard  for  an  instant  in  a 
manner  which  nearly  cost  him  his  life.  It  should 
be  understood  that  the  scene  which  ensued  oc- 
curred so  rapidly  as  to  occupy  less  time  in  its 
passage  than  is  required  to  read  about  it,  and  that 
during  those  few  seconds  a  struggle  of  life  and 
death  was  going  on. 

Hardly  had  William's  hand  touched  the  door- 
knob ere  he  felt  the  pistol  drawn  out  of  his  coat 
pocket.  He  knew  there  was  but  one  person  who 


A  TERRIBLE   STRUGGLE  FOR  LIFE.  107 

could  have  done  it,  and  that  person  was  a  perfect 
devil  thirsting  for  his  blood.  Turning  like  a 
flash,  he  seized  Farrington  by  both  wrists,  just  as 
the  latter  was  trying  to  cock  the  pistol;  then 
there  was  a  terrible  contest.  The  pistol  was  in 
Farrington's  hands,  which  were  held  so  close  to- 
gether by  the  irons  as  to  make  it  impossible  to 
wrench  one  away  from  the  other;  it  was  pointed 
directly  at  William's  head,  and  should  Farring- 
ton succeed  in  cocking  it,  William's  death  would 
be  instantaneous.  All  his  energies,  therefore, 
were  directed  toward  keeping  Farrington's  hands 
far  enough  apart  to  prevent  him  from  drawing 
back  the  hammer.  The  space  was  too  narrow  to 
permit  of  such  a  struggle  without  one  party  or 
the  other  being  forced  back  upon  the  rail,  and,  in 
a  moment,  William  had  lifted  his  lighter  antago- 
nist from  the  deck,  pressing  him  against  the  rail- 
ing, and  at  the  same  time  shouting  for  assistance. 
In  response  to  his  call,  Connell  came  running  out 
in  dishabille,  with  his  pistol  in  one  hand  and  his 
pantaloons  in  the  other.  At  this  moment  the 
cold  muzzle  of  the  pistol  was  pressed  against 
William's  temple,  and  he  heard  the  click  of  the 
hammer  as  his  desperate  prisoner  succeeded  in 
drawing  it  back.  He  made  a  violent  plunge  for- 
ward, ducking  his  head  as  he  did  so,  and  simulta- 
neously the  pistol  exploded  close  to  his  ear,  the 
ball  ploughing  a  little  f  urrow  in  the  scalp,  while  the 
powdei  scon-hod  his  neck  and  hair.  Staggering 
back  stunned  and  dizzy  for  a  moment,  he  was 
caught  by  Connell,  who  asked  whether  he  \va& 


108  A  TERRIBLE  STRUGGLE  FOR  LIFE. 

much  hurt  He  soon  gathered  his  senses,  and, 
finding  his  wound  to  be  only  trifling,  he  asked 
what  had  become  of  Farrington.  Connell  pointed 
overboard,  and  no  further  answer  was  necessary; 
no  man  dropping  in  front  of  those  wheels  could 
ha  ye  lived  for  an  instant,  and,  even  had  he  not 
been  struck,  he  could  not  have  kept  himself  up  in 
the  rapid  current  then  running  filled  with  fine  ice. 

By  this  time  the  bar-room,  barber  shop,  and  sa- 
loon had  been  emptied  of  their  occupants,  and 
the  boat  had  been  stopped  to  see  whether  the  man 
could  be  picked  up;  but,  as  this  was  clearly  hope- 
less, the  trip  was  soon  resumed.  Council's  arrival 
had  been  most  opportune  for  William,  since  he 
had  caught  the  weapon  the  moment  it  was  dis- 
charged, and  succeeded  in  changing  the  course  of 
the  bullet  sufficiently  to  save  William's  life. 
Thinking,  however,  that  William  had  been  killed, 
Connell  had  struck  Parrington  on  the  head  with 
his  pistol  almost  simultaneously  with  the  explo- 
sion, and  the  blow,  aided  by  the  plunge  which 
William  m?de  forward  in  endeavoring  to  dodge 
the  pistol-shot,  had  sent  Farrington  over  the  rail 
into  the  water,  where  he  was  undoubtedly  killed 
the  next  instant  by  the  paddle-wheels. 

The  fact  of  the  man's  death  was  so  absolutely 
certain  that  no  person  could  doubt  it,  if  acquainted 
with  the  circumstances;  yet  there  were  not  want- 
ing people  who  insinuated  that  he  had  been 
allowed  to  escape  by  jumping  overboard  ai.d 
swimming  ashore.  The  absurdity  of  such  a  story 
is  manifest,  for,  even  supposing  that  his  irons  had 


A  TERRIBLE  STRUGGLE  FOR  LIFE.  109 

been  removed,  and  that  he  had  escaped  injury 
from  the  paddle-wheels,  he  never  could  have 
swam  ashore  at  the  spot  where  the  affair  occurred. 
The  nearest  point  of  the  river  bank  was  more  than 
three  hundred  yards  away,  and  the  current  at  that 
place  was  running  off  the  shore;  besides,  the 
night  was  very  cold,  and  the  water  was  covered 
with  a  film  of  ice,  so  that  after  five  minutes'  im- 
mersion in  it,  a  man  would  have  become  wholly 
numbed  and  insensible. 

Barton  was  not  at  all  surprised  when  he  heard 
of  Hillary  Farrington's  death,  for  he  said  that  he 
knew  Hillary  so  well  that  he  had  expected 
nothing  else  from  the  time  he  was  taken;  he  was 
so  desperate  that  his  intention  undoubtedly  had 
been  to  have  seized  William  and  dragged  him 
overboard;  but,  seeing  the  pistol,  another  idoa 
had  probably  occurred  to  him.  Barton  said  that 
had  Hillary  succeeded  in  killing  William,  he  would 
have  gone  up  to  the  pilot-house  with  the  revolver, 
and  forced  the  pilot  to  land  him  immediately; 
once  on  shore,  his  knowledge  of  the  country 
would  have  enabled  him  to  escape  again.  What- 
ever had  been  his  plans,  however,  he  had  failed 
in  his  attempt  at  murder,  and  had  paid  the 
penalty  of  his  rashness  with  his  life. 

The  Test  of  the  party  went  on  to  Columbus, 
where  they  took  passage  for  Union  City,  arriving 
there  Friday  morning. 

About  this  time,  Mr.  Ball,  who  had  been  sent 
to  follow  the  wagon  train  of  Mrs.  Farrington,  re- 
ported, after  u  silence  of  several  days,  that  he  had 


110  A  TERRIBLE  STRUGGLE  FOR  LIFE. 

traced  her  into  the  Indian  Territory.  In  point  of 
fact,  she  was  settled  at  Ash  Grove,  near  Mount 
Vernon,  in  Greene  County,  Missouri,  and  had 
been  there  ever  since  Hillary  and  Barton  had  left 
her  before  their  arrest  at  Durham's.  It  will  thus 
be  seen  how  fortunate  it  was  that  I  had  not 
trusted  to  Ball  and  Bledsoe  to  keep  track  of  Mrs. 
Farrington,  since  they  had  utterly  lost  the  trail, 
and  had  followed  another  set  of  wagons  for  sev- 
eral days  as  far  as  the  Indian  Territory;  when, 
probably  suspecting  that  he  had  made  a  mistake, 
Ball  telegraphed  to  the  express  company's  officers 
for  instructions.  He  was  then  ordered  to  return  at 
once  with  Bledsoe,  the  whole  party  having  been 
captured  by  that  time. 

While  speaking  of  Mrs.  Farrington,  I  may  as 
well  give  an  account  of  all  our  dealings  with  her, 
irrespective  of  the  chronological  order  of  the 
story : 

Having  received  Barton's  order  upon  her  for  all 
of  the  wagons  and  stock,  and  for  five  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars  in  money,  Cottrell  endeavored  to 
attach  her  property  in  a  civil  suit.  She  insisted 
that  she  had  none  of  Barton's  money — indeed, 
that  she  had  no  money  at  all — and  she  refused  to 
give  up  anything.  At  last,  finding  that  he  could 
not  legally  attach  her  property,  Cottrell  took  the 
bold  step  of  arresting  her  for  receiving  stolen 
goods.  She  was  taken  to  Mount  Vernon,  where 
she  engaged  a  lawyer  to  defend  her,  and  then,  of 
course,  Cottrell  was  also  obliged  to  employ  a  legaj 
adviser.  At  length,  a  compromise  was  effected, 


•  A  TERRIBLE  STRUGGLE  FOR  LIFE.  Ill 

by  which  Mrs.  Farrington  was  allo  tved  to  retain 
a  small  portion  of  the  property ;  Cottrell  then 
took  possession  of  the  remainder  as  agent  of  the 
express  company,  and  Mrs.  Farrington  was  dis- 
charged from  custody.  After  selling  some  of  the 
animals,  Cottrell  shipped  all  the  remaining  chat- 
tels to  St.  Louis,  where  the  agent  of  the  express 
company  took  charge  of  them.  The  two  detec- 
tives then  returned  to  Chicago,  and  no  further 
attention  was  paid  to  Mrs.  Farrington. 

On  Saturday,  after  the  arrival  of  William's 
party,  with  Barton,  in  Union  City,  Detectives 
Galway  and  Connell  started  out  to  arrest  Bill 
Taylor,  the  fourth  one  of  the  party  of  robbers. 

This  man  was  a  long,  lank,  round-shouldered 
fellow,  with  putty  face,  long,  straggling  hair  and 
beard,  and  a  vacant  expression  of  countenance, 
who  lived  by  hunting  and  chopping  wood,  below 
Lester's  Landing,  in  the  vicinity  of  Keel's  Foot 
Lake.  William  had  been  satisfied  of  his  com- 
plicity in  the  robbery  for  some  time  previous  to 
ilM>  arrest  of  the  others,  but  he  had  not  arrested 
him  for  the  reason  that  he  was  sure  of  picking 
him  up  whenever  he  wished  to  do  so;  and,  know- 
ing Taylor  to  have  been  merely  a  weak  accom- 
plice, he  was  anxious  to  secure  the  leaders  in  the 
crime  first.  Barton's  confession  made  the  sus- 
picion of  Taylor's  guilt  a  certainty,  and  so  Gal- 
way  and  Connell  were  sent  to  arrest  him. 

At  Mr.  Merrick's  they  obtained  a  good  guide, 
and  four  other  citizens  joined  them,  so  that  they 
had  quite  a  formidable  party.  After  visiting  sev 


112  A  TERRIBLE  STRUGGLE  FOR  LIFE. 

eral  houses  in  the  cane-brake,  they  learned  where 
Taylor  was  staying,  and,  on  going  there,  they 
saw  him  looking  at  them  from  a  front  window. 
Galway  asked  Taylor  to  come  down  a  few  min- 
utes to  give  them  some  information,  and  Taylor 
unsuspectingly  complied.  He  had  been  allowed 
to  go  free  so  long,  and  had  so  often  talked  with 
William  and  others  about  the  robbery,  that  he 
did  not  imagine  their  object  on  this  occasion. 
On  coming  into  the  yard,  therefore,  he  greeted 
the  men  cordially,  supposing  them  to  be  a  party 
scouting  for  the  other  robbers,  of  whose  arrest  he 
had  not  heard.  When  he  saw  a  couple  of  navy 
revolvers  close  to  his  head,  and  heard  an  order  to 
throw  up  his  hands,  he  surrendered  without  a 
word.  He  was  evidently  badly  frightened,  but 
he  would  not  confess  having  had  any  part  in  the 
robbery,  and  he  refused  to  tell  where  his  share  of 
the  money  was  concealed.  He  was  placed  on 
Council's  horse  and  taken  to  Merrick's,  where 
another  horse  was  obtained,  and  the  party  went 
on  to  Hickman;  thence  he  was  taken  by  wagon 
to  Union  City,  arriving  there  about  midnight  of 
Saturday.  Both  Barton  and  Taylor  were  placed 
in  rooms  in  the  hotel,  where  they  were  carefully 
watched  night  and  day  by  my  detectives,  the 
county  jail  being  almost  useless  as  a  place  for 
keeping  prisoners. 

On  learning  that  the  whole  party  had  been  ar- 
rested, Taylor  made  a  very  full  confession  of  all 
the  circumstances  connected  with  the  robbery, 
and  the  movements  of  the  robbers  after  it  had 


A  TERRIBLE  STRUGGLE  FOR  LIFE.  113 

occurred.  He  confirmed  Barton's  account  in  every 
particular,  but  revealed  nothing  new  of  any  im- 
portance. His  share  of  the  stolen  money  had 
been  only  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars, 
as  Levi  had  made  him  believe  that  they  had  ob- 
tained only  six  hundred  dollars  in  all.  About 
fifty  dollars  were  found  on  Taylor's  person ;  the 
rest  he  had  spent.  He  said  that  Levi  Farrington 
had  hidden  all  the  checks,  drafts,  and  unnegotia- 
ble  paper  underneath  an  old  log  in  the  woods, 
but  that  he  could  not  tell  where  the  log  was,  nor 
find  it,  since  it  was  not  marked  in  any  way,  nor 
had  they  taken  any  bearings  by  which  to  remem- 
ber it.  He  gave  an  account  of  the  evening  when 
Hicks,  the  tipsy  planter,  came  to  their  camp-fire, 
which  agreed  exactly  with  the  previous  state- 
ments of  Hicks  and  Barton;  but  one  slight  re- 
mark in  his  confession  seemed  to  account  for  the 
fifth  man  mentioned  by  Hicks.  Taylor  said 
that  during  most  of  the  time  Hicks  was  at  their 
camp,  one  or  two  of  the  party  were  lying  on  the 
ground  with  their  feet  toward  the  fire,  and  that 
there  was  a  log  of  wood  lying  beside  them. 
Now,  it  is  probable  that  Hicks  was  just  drunk 
enough  to  be  unable  to  tell  the  difference  be- 
tween a  man  and  a  log,  especially  as,  in  his  de- 
scription of  the  men,  he  gave  the  appearance  ol 
Hillary  Farrington  twice  as  belonging  to  differ- 
ent persons.  Hicks's  vision  was  somewhat  un- 
certain that  night,  evidently. 


114  THE  LAST  SCENE  IN  THE  DRAMA. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

The  last  Scene  in  the  Drama  approaching  — A  new  Char- 
acter appears. — The  Citizens  of  Union  City  suddenly 
seem  to  have  important  business  on  hand. —  The 
Vigilantes  and  their  Work. — Their  Bullets  and  Judge 
Lynch  administer  a  quietus  to  Levi  Farrington  and 
David  Towler. — The  End. 

THE  last  scene  in  this  drama  seemed  about  to 
end  in  the  complete  defeat  of  the  whole 
gang  of  villains  and  the  triumph  of  law  and  jus- 
tice, when  a  new  character  came  upon  the  stage, 
and  the  curtain  fell  upon  a  bloody  tragedy.  That 
substantial  justice  was  done  cannot  be  denied, 
though  the  manner  of  its  execution  was  beyond 
and  outside  all  forms  of  law.  It  was  a  striking 
instance  of  the  manner  in  which  an  outraged 
community,  particularly  in  the  West  and  South, 
will  arrive  at  a  satisfactory  settlement  of  import- 
ant questions  without  the  intervention  of  courts, 
juries,  or  lawyers.  The  court  of  Judge  Lynch 
makes  mistakes  occasionally,  but  it  rarely  ad- 
mits of  an  appeal  from  its  decision. 

Robert  arrived  in  Union  City  with  Levi  Far- 
rington on  Monday,  December  eighteenth,  and 
he  took  his  prisoner  to  the  hotel  for  safe  keeping, 
with  the  others.  They  were  kept  in  separate 
rooms,  and  a  detective  remained  with  each  of 
them  constantly.  William  spent  several  hours 
with  Levi  Farrington,  trying  to  induce  him  to 


THE  LAST  SCENE  IN  THE  DRAMA.  115 

tell  where  he  had  hidden  the  stolen  papers,  and 
also  what  he  had  done  with  his  share  of 'the 
money,  of  which  he  had  undoubtedly  retained 
the  greater  part.  Finally  he  agreed  to  return  all 
the  papers,  and  about  twenty-five  hundred  dollars 
besides,  on  condition  that  he  should  receive  a 
sentence  of  only  five  years  in  the  penitentiary  on 
entering  a  plea  of  guilty.  Having  agreed  to  this 
arrangement,  William  went  to  his  room,  which 
was  a  large  one,  with  several  beds,  occupied  by 
Robert,  Brown,  and  Connell.  As  the  men  of  my 
force  were  all  pretty  well  used  up,  Taylor  and 
Barton  were  placed  in  the  same  room,  with  Gal- 
way  guarding  them,  while  Farrington,  being 
such  a  desperate  feUow,  was  put  in  another 
room,  with  three  of  the  Union  City  policemen  as 
guards. 

Soon  after  the  arrival  of  Robert  with  Levi  Far- 
rington, a  man,  named  David  Towler,  tried  to 
gel  admission  to  Farrington's  room.  On  being 
denied,  he  was  very  insolent,  and  he  insisted  on 
seeing  Farrington  alone.  Finding  that  this  would 
not  be  permitted,  he  went  away  cursing  the 
officers  and  swearing  to  be  revenged.  His  actions 
naturally  attracted  the  attention  of  the  police, 
and  caused  him  to  be  regarded  with  a  great  deal 
of  suspicion,  as  a  probable  member  of  the  Far- 
rington party  of  robbers.  About  eleven  o'clock 
that  night,  a  policeman,  named  Benjamin  Kline, 
discovered  this  man  Towler  with  a  drawn  revol- 
ver, skulking  behind  a  car  standing  on  the  side 
track  near  the  depot.  He  immediately  called  for 


116  THE  LAST  SCENE  IN  THE   DRAMA. 

ihe  railroad  company's  night  watchman,  and  tho 
two  approached  the  thief  to  arrest  him.  Tho 
man  instantly  shot  Kline  through  the  lungs,  and 
then  shot  Moran,  the  watchman.  Kline's  wound 
was  mortal,  and  he  died  in  a  few  minutes,  while 
Moran  was  supposed  to  be  fatally  hurt  also.  The 
pistol-shots  quickly  drew  a  crowd,  and  a  fr\v 
determined  men  gave  chase  to  the  murderer. 
After  quite  a  long  pursuit  he  was  captured,  and 
brought  back  to  the  station  where  Kline  had  just 
died.  A  justice  of  the  peace  held  a  preliminary 
examination  at  once,  and  the  prisoner,  David 
Towler,  was  held  for  murder,  without  bail.  He 
was  known  to  be  a  low,  desperate  fellow,  who 
had  been  imprisoned  for  horse-stealing  and  other 
kindred  crimes,  until  he  was  regarded  almost  as 
an  outlaw.  He  had  long  lived  near  Keel's  Foot 
Lake,  and  while  there  he  had  become  acquainted 
with  the  Farringtons.  That  their  friendship  was 
more  than  that  of  two  casual  acquaintances  was 
shown  by  an  important  circumstance  discovered 
by  William.  It  will  be  remembered  that  when 
Levi  Farrington  stopped  in  Cairo  to  send  eight 
hundred  dollars  to  his  mother,  he  purchased  two 
of  the  largest-sized  Smith  &  Wesson  revolvers. 
They  were  exact  fac-similes  of  each  other,  and 
were  numbered  1,278  and  1,279  respectively.  At 
the  time  of  Levi's  arrest,  only  one  of  these  revol- 
vers was  found,  and  he  said  that  he  had  given 
away  the  other  to  a  friend,  retaining  number 
1,279  himself.  When  Towler  was  captured, 
William  happened  to  notice  that  his  revolver  was 


THE   LAST  SCENE  IN  THE  DRAMA.  117 

similar  to  the  one  Levi  had  carried.  This  would 
have  been  nothing  to  be  remarked  under  ordinary 
circumstances,  since  there  were,  undoubtedly, 
many  of  these  revolvers  in  use,  all  exactly  alike 
except  in  number ;  but  William  connected  this 
man  Towler's  appearance  in  Union  City  with  the 
arrival  of  the  express  robbers,  and  the  new  revol- 
ver caught  his  eye  at  once.  On  closely  examining 
it,  his  suspicions  were  fully  confirmed :  it  was 
numbered  1,278,  and  was,  without  question,  the 
mate  to  Levi's,  bought  by  him  in  Cairo  and  given 
to  Towler. 

When  this  news  became  known  to  the  throng 
of  citizens  whom  the  shooting  of  Kline  and  Moraii 
had  drawn  together,  the  feeling  against  all  the 
prisoners  became  intense,  and  when  Towler  was 
committed  by  the  justice  to  the  guard  of  the  men 
who  were  watching  Levi,  the  citizens  began  to 
depart  very  suddenly,  as  if  they  either  had  im- 
portant business  elsewhere,  or  were  in  a  hurry  to 
get  home.  By  midnight  the  town  was  quiet,  and 
after  a  visit  to  the  guards,  to  caution  them  to  be 
extra  vigilant,  William  and  Robert  retired  to  their 
room,  together  with  Brown  and  Council. 

Young  Kline,  whom  Towler  had  murdered,  was 
very  highly  esteemed  in  Union  City,  and  his  death 
at  the  hands  of  an  outlaw  would  have  aroused 
deep  indignation  at  any  time ;  but  just  now  there 
were  additional  reasons  why  the  affair  should  ex- 
vito  a  desire  for  summary  vengeance  upou  his 
assin.  It  had  been  shown  that  Towler  must 
have  formerly  been  on  intimate  terms  with  the 


118  THE  LAST  SCENE   IN   THE   DRAMA. 

Farringtons,  and  these  latter  were  well  known  ag 
desperadoes,  whose  hand  was  turned  against  every 
man;  hence,  the  crimes  of  the  whole  party  were 
considered  as  a  sort  of  partnership  affair,  for 
which  each  member  of  the  firm  was  individually 
liable.  But,  besides  the  natural  indignation  of 
the  law-abiding  citizens  for  the  crimes  committed 
by  these  men,  there  was  a  widespread  sense  of 
insecurity  so  long  as  they  were  in  that  vicinity. 
Towler  had  remarked,  w^hen  captured,  that  he 
would  soon  be  out  again,  and  all  the  prisoners 
bore  themselves  with  an  air  of  bravado,  as  if  they 
had  no  fear  nor  expectation  of  punishment.  It 
was  believed  that  a  number  of  friends  of  the  gang 
among  the  desperadoes  living  in  Nigger- Wool 
Swamp  and  near  Eeel's  Foot  Lake  intended  to  at- 
tempt the  rescue  of  the  whole  party  of  express 
robbers,  before  they  could  be  consigned  to  a  secure 
place  of  confinement.  The  citizens  who  had 
risked  their  lives  to  capture  Towler  and  the  others, 
who  had  turned  out  in  time  to  see  poor  Kline  die 
in  agony,  were  determined  that  nothing  should 
occur  to  prevent  justice  from  reaching  the  crim- 
inals, and  exacting  the  fullest  penalty  for  their 
numerous  crimes;  hence  the  sudden  departure  of 
the  throng  who  had  attended  Towler's  preliminary 
examination  before  the  justice.  They  did  not  go 
to  their  homes,  but  gathered  in  a  secluded  place, 
and  formed  a  Committee  of  Safety.  The  question 
as  to  what  course  would  best  protect  the  lives 
and  property  of  the  community  was  then  dis- 
cussed, and  a  conclusion  was  soon  reached,  with- 
out a  dissenting  voice. 


THE  LAST  SCENE  IN  THE  DRAMA.  119 

Throughout  the  town  all  was  hushed  in  the 
usual  stillness  of  a  winter's  night;  no  lights  were 
burning  anywhere,  save  in  an  occasional  sick- 
chamber,  and  sleep  seemed  to  have  fallen  alike 
upon  the  just  and  unjust.  In  one  room  of  the 
hotel  were  Barton  and  Taylor,  guarded  byGalway 
and  an  employe  of  the  express  company,  while 
near  by  was  the  room  where  Levi  Farrington 
and  David  Towler  were  watched  by  three  of  the 
city  policemen.  A  dim  light  burned  in  each  room, 
and,  while  the  guards  paced  the  floor  in  their 
stocking  feet,  the  prisoners  lay  on  their  beds  in 
deep  slumber.  Not  a  memory  of  the  past,  full  as 
it  was  of  scenes  of  crime  and  blood,  came  to  break 
their  repose;  not  a  thought  of  the  future,  with 
its  possibilities  of  punishment,  caused  them  to 
lose  one  moment  of  their  customary  rest.  Fear 
they  had  never  known;  remorse  was  long  since 
forgotten;  unconscious  or  careless  of  then:  im- 
pending doom,  they  slept  the  night  away. 

About  two  o'clock  there  was  a  stealthy  gather- 
ing of  masked  men  at  the  door  of  the  hotel,  and, 
at  a  given  signal  from  the  leader,  a  certain  num- 
ber slipped  up-stairs  with  little  noise,  and  filled  the 
corridor  from  which  the  prisoners' rooms  opened. 
So  sudden  was  their  appearance  and  so  quiet  their 
approach  that  even  the  wakeful  guards  scarce 
In  ard  them  until  the  doors  were  forced  open. 
Then  the  policy  of  silence  was  dropped,  and  a 
rush  upon  the  guards  was  made.  A  battery  of 
pistols,  suddenly  confronted  them,  and,  as  resist- 
ance was  clearly  impossible,  an  unconditional 


120  THE   LAST  SCENE  IN  THE  DKAMA. 

surrender  was  at  once  made.  The  bursting  in  of 
the  doors  awakened  William  and  Eobert,  who 
hastily  sprang  up,  and,  without  stopping  to  put 
on  any  clothing,  opened  their  door,  pistol  in  hand. 
This  move,  however,  had  been  anticipated  by  the 
vigilantes,  and  a  dozen  or  more  pistols  were  thrust 
in  then:  faces  as  they  appeared  in  the  doorway. 

"Go  back,  Pinkerton,  we  don't  want  to  hurt 
you,r/  said  one  of  the  men  outside,  and  they  were 
pushed  back  into  the  room,  while  the  door  was 
hastily  closed  in  their  faces. 

To  resist  such  a  body  with  the  few  men  at  his 
command,  William  knew,  would  be  suicidal,  and 
he  did  not  especially  care  to  sacrifice  himself  in 
the  interest  of  such  a  villainous  band  as  those 
whom  the  vigilantes  were  seeking.  The  four  de- 
tectives, therefore,  dressed  themselves  and  re- 
mained in  their  room  awaiting  further  develop- 
ments. 

Having  overpowered  the  guards,  the  leader  of 
the  vigilantes  ordered  the  removal  of  Towler,  and, 
as  the  latter  was  hustled  out  of  the  door,  Levi 
Farrington  knew  that  his  hour  had  come.  Stand- 
ing up  and  facing  the  remainder  of  the  crowd, 
who  had  withdrawn  to  the  further  side  of  the 
room,  he  defied  them  all,  and  told  them  to  fire 
away.  A  volley  of  pistol-shots  was  the  reply  to 
his  words,  and  a  rattling  fire  continued  for  two 
or  three  minutes;  when  it  ceased,  Levi  Farring- 
ton was  no  more,  his  body  having  been  struck  by 
more  than  thirty  balls,  almost  any  one  of  which 
would  have  been  instantaneously  fatal.  His 


THE  LAST  SCENE  IN  THE  DRAMA.  121 

body  was  left  where  it  fell,  and  the  room  was 
soon  deserted  as  the  party  hastened  after  the  de- 
tachment which  had  Towler  in  charge.  The 
whole  affair  was  over  in  ten  minutes,  and  when 
the  detectives  again  left  their  room  none  of  the 
masked  party  were  to  be  seen.  Levi  Farring- 
ton's  body  was  found  in  his  room,  but  no  trace  of 
Towler  could  be  discovered.  Finding  that  the 
excitement  was  over,  the  detectives  returned  to 
bed,  leaving  Barton  and  Taylor  still  carefully 
guarded.  The  former  had  slept  through  the  con 
fusion  and  noise  without  even  a  start  or  restless 
jnovement,  but  Taylor  was  terribly  frightened, 
and  he  fully  expected  to  be  lynched  also. 

The  next  morning  at  breakfast,  William  was 
informed  that  the  body  of  Towler  had  been  found 
hanging  to  a  tree  near  the  graveyard,  and,  on 
going  to  the  spot,  they  found  him  as  represented. 
At  the  coroner's  inquest  little  testimony  could  be 
obtained  further  than  that  one  man  had  been  shot 
to  death  and  the  other  hung  by  parties  unknown, 
and  the  verdict  was  rendered  accordingly.  There 
was  naturally  considerable  excitement  over  the 
affair  for  two  or  three  days,  but  the  general  ver- 
dict was,  "Served  'em  right."  However  violent 
had  been  their  taking  off,  there  were  few  who 
did  not  feel  that  society  demanded  their  death, 
not  only  as  a  punishment  for  their  past  crimes, 
but  as  a  means  of  security  in  the  future.  Be- 
lieving that  a  sentence  to  the  penitentiary  was 
wholly  inadequate,  and  that  their  escape  there- 
from was  not  only  possible,  but  probable,  the  cit- 

6 


122  THE  LAST  SCENE  IN%  THE  DRAMA. 

izens  preferred  to  take  no  risks  of  future  rob- 
beries and  murders  by  these  desperadoes,  and 
they  therefore  took  the  most  effectual  method  of 
preventing  their  occurrence.  Their  action  was 
illegal,  it  is  true,  but  then  it  was  just — which  is  a 
more  important  consideration  sometimes. 

On  the  following  Friday,  Barton  and  Taylor 
had  their  preliminary  hearing  before  a  justice, 
when  they  waived  examination,  and  were  com- 
mitted for  trial  in  default  of  bail  in  the  sum  of 
ten  thousand  dollars  each.  Upon  the  representa- 
tion to  the  justice  that  the  county  jail  was  an 
unsafe  place  to  confine  the  prisoners,  permission 
was  obtained  to  remove  them  to  the  jail  in  Mem- 
phis; the  proper  papers  were  made  out,  and  the 
transfer  was  made  under  William's  management. 

The  death  of  Levi  Farrington  made  the  recovery 
of  the  missing  checks,  papers,  and  money  an  im- 
possibility, since  neither  Barton  nor  Taylor  were 
able  to  conduct  the  officers  to  the  place  where 
they  were  hidden.  Barton  gave  the  company  a 
bill  of  sale  of  the  goods  in  the  store  at  Lester's 
Landing,  however,  and  an  assignment  of  all  debts 
due  the  firm,  from  which  about  five  or  six  hun- 
dred dollars  were  eventually  realized.  Eobert 
and  Brown  attended  to  this  matter  and  returned 
to  Chicago.  Wilham  was  on  duty  until  the  two 
remaining  prisoners  were  safely  lodged  in  jail  in 
Memphis,  and  then,  having  settled  up  all  the 
business  of  which  he  had  had  charge,  he  also  re- 
turned home. 

At  the  next  term  of  court  in  Obion  County, 


THE  LAST  SCENE  IN  THE   DRAMA.  123 

Tennessee,  Barton  and  Taylor  pleaded  guilty  of 
grand  larceny,  and  were  each  sentenced  to  five 
years'  confinement  at  hard  labor  in  the  peniten- 
tiary. Thus,  out  of  a  party  of  four  engaged  in 
this  robbery,  two  were  finally  brought  to  trial 
and  appropriately  punished,  while  the  other  two 
would  have  been  so  punished  also,  had  not  a 
higher  penalty  been  demanded  by  the  circum- 
stances of  their  cases,  aggravated  by  their  own 
brutal  and  revengeful  dispositions.  No  reminis- 
cence in  my  experience  shows  a  more  striking 
illustration  of  the  certainty  of  retribution  for 
crime  than  does  the  career  and  fate  of  these  out- 
laws of  the  Southwest. 


THE    END. 


PEDRO  AND  THE  DETECTIVES, 


CHAPTER  I. 

A  Fraudulent  Scheme  contemplated. — A  Dashing  Peru- 
man  Don  and  Donna.  —  A  Regal  Forger. — Mr. 
Pinkerton  engaged  by  Senator  Muirhead  to  unveil 
the  Mystery  of  his  Life. — The  Don  and  Donna 
Morito  arrive  at  G-loster. — " Personnel "  of  Gloster's 
"First  Families.'''' 

rpHE  history  of  crimes  against  prosperity  is  of 
vital  interest  to  the  public.  The  ingenuity 
of  thieves,  burglars,  forgers,  and  confidence  men 
is  active  and  incessant,  so  that  their  plans  are 
often  successful  even  against  the  experience  and 
precautions  of  men  of  the  most  wary  and  cautious 
character.  This  seems  to  be  especially  true  when 
the  amounts  at  stake  are  large,  for  petty  attempts 
to  defraud  are  so  frequent,  that  when  a  criminal 
plays  for  a  large  sum,  the  suspicion  of  the  capi- 
talist is  wholly  allayed  by  the  improbability  that 
a  mere  swindler  should  undertake  an  operation 
of  such  magnitude.  Indeed,  in  many  cases  the 
cupidity  of  the  victim  is  so  great  that  the  sharper 
h.irdly  offers  the  bait  ere  it  is  swallowed  by  some 
confiding  simpleton.  Hence,  as  a  warning  for 
the  future,  the  lessons  of  past  frauds  possess  no 
small  degree  of  interest  and  value  to  the  world \ 

[188] 


126  A  FRAUDULENT   SCHEME. 

and  as  there  is  no  portion  of  society  free  from 
the  depredations  of  these  schemers,  their  various 
wiles  and  snares  cannot  be  exposed  too  often. 

More  than  twenty  years  ago,  the  city  of 
Gloster  was  one  of  the  most  thriving  cities  of  the 
West.  Controlling  the  interior  trade  to  a  large 
extent,  its  interests  were  of  the  most  varied  cha- 
racter, and  its  inhabitants  were  already  distin- 
guished as  being  more  cosmopolitan  than  those 
of  any  other  city  in  the  Union,  except  New  York. 
They  had  imbibed,  perhaps,  some  of  the  genius 
of  the  prairies,  and  their  scorn  of  petty  methods 
of  doing  business,  their  breadth  of  charity  and 
hearty  hospitality,  were  as  boundless  as  the  great 
plains  of  which  the  city  was  the  business  center 
at  that  time.  Among  such  a  people,  a  plausible 
adventurer  had  a  fine  field  of  operation,  and  I 
was  not  surprised  when  I  was  asked  to  go  to 
Gloster  in  the  latter  part  of  the  winter  to  investi- 
gate the  character  of  some  persons  who  were 
living  there. 

The  application  came  from  Senator  Muirhead, 
a  man  whom  I  had  long  known,  both  in  his  pub- 
lic and  private  life.  His  suspicions  were  of  the 
vaguest  possible  character,  and  a  hasty  examina- 
tion of  the  case  failed  to  convince  me  that  they 
were  well  founded;  yet  he  was  convinced  in  his 
own  mind  that  there  was  a  fraudulent  scheme  in 
contemplation,  and  his  positive  conviction  had 
great  weight  with  me.  The  Senator's  interest  in 
the  case  had  led  him  to  make  extensive  inquiries 
into  the  antecedents  of  these  parties,  but  he  was 


A  FRAUDULENT  SCHEME.  127 

unable  io  trace  them  further  back  than  their  arri 
val  in  New  York,  several  months  before.  There 
they  had  suddenly  appeared  in  society  with  a 
great  display  of  wealth,  stating  that  they  had 
been  traveling  in  Europe  for  some  time,  and  were 
gradually  making  their  way  back  to  Peru,  where 
they  lived.  Don  Pedro  P.  L.  do  Morito  and  his 
wife,  having  enjoyed  life  in  New  York  for  several 
months,  now  proposed  to  spend  at  least  a  year  in 
Gloster,  and  it  was  this  couple  whose  charactei 
was  suspected  by  the  Senator.  Indeed,  he  felt 
sure  that,  at  least,  they  were  traveling  under  a^  • 
sumed  names,  and  certain  coincidences  led  him 
to  believe  that  they  were  adroit  swindlers  of  the 
most  capable,  dangerous  type.  He  had  discovered 
a  chain  of  circumstantial  evidence  which  needed 
only  one  link  to  make  a  clear  connection  between 
certain  crimes  and  these  fascinating  Peruvians, 
and  it  was  for  the  purpose  of  discovering  this 
link  that  he  had  requested  my  aid.  In  brief,  his 
suspicions  were,  that  after  innumerable  frauds  in 
other  countries,  this  plausible  pair  had  settled  in 
Gloster  to  add  to  their  ill-gotten  wealth  by  some 
new  scheme  of  villainy.  His  theoretic  history  of 
the  man,  derived  from  various  sources,  mainly 
newspapers  in  which  crimes  had  been  described 
bearing  the  same  style  of  workmanship,  was  as 
follows. 

Jose  Gomez,  a  cadet  of  the  ancient  Brazilian 
family  of  that  name,  began  life  with  a  fine  phys- 
ique, ample  mental  endowments,  and  a  high  so- 
cial position.  He  was  the  heir-exped-mt  of  a 


128  A  FRAUDULENT  SCHEME. 

valuable  estate,  and  no  pains  were  spared  upon 
his  education.  As  he  grew  to  manhood,  how- 
ever, his  habits  became  such  as  to  excite  the 
gravest  apprehensions  as  to  his  future,  and  by 
the  time  he  was  thirty  years  of  age  he  was  a 
reckless  libertine,  gambler,  and  spendthrift.  Find- 
ing that  his  source  of  supplies  was  about  to  be 
cut  off  by  his  family,  he  obtained  large  sums  of 
money  by  means  of  forged  paper,  with  which  he 
fled  from  Rio  Janeiro  to  Lima,  Peru.  His  where- 
abouts were  not  discovered  for  a  long  time,  but 
when  the  information  was  received,  the  Brazilian 
Government  made  an  effort  to  obtain  his  extra- 
dition. He  was  living  in  fine  style  in  Lima,  un- 
der the  assumed  name  of  Juan  Sanchez,  and,  in 
some  way,  he  was  warned  of  his  danger.  Before 
any  steps  had  been  taken  to  expose  or  arrest  him, 
he  perpetrated  another  series  of  forgeries,  by 
which  he  obtained  a  large  amount  of  money,  and 
then  wholly  disappeared.  The  aggregate  of  his 
forgeries  was  so  great  that  a  considerable  no- 
toriety attached  to  the  case,  and  the  facts  were 
published  in  full  in  the  leading  newspapers  of 
this  country. 

About  the  time  of  the  great  rush  to  California, 
after  the  gold  discoveries  there,  a  gentleman 
known  as  Don  Jose  Michel  appeared  in  San  Fran- 
cisco, where  he  lived  in  regal  splendor;  indeed, 
his  extravagance  was  so  great  as  to  make  him 
conspicuous  even  among  the  reckless  throng  who 
filled  the  Golden  City.  After  wasting  a  fortune 
with  a  prodigal  hand,  however,  he  suddenly  van- 


A   FRAUDULENT   SCHEME.  129 

ished,  and,  although  little  was  known  positively 
on  the  subject,  it  was  commonly  understood  that 
he  had  swindled  a  number  of  bankers  and  cap- 
italists by  worthless  notes,  drafts,  and  checks, 
many  of  which  were  wholly  or  partly  forged. 
The  men  thus  defrauded  kept  the  matter  quiet, 
both  because  they  were  ashamed  to  acknowledge 
how  easily  they  had  been  imposed  upon,  and  be- 
cause they  hoped  to  facilitate  the  capture  of  the 
criminal  by  working  in  secret.  The  incidents 
were  related  to  Senator  Muirhead  in  a  casual  con- 
versation  with  a  friend  who  had  recently  re- 
turned from  the  Pacific  coast,  and  the  description 
given  of  Don  Jose  Michel  tallied  exactly  with 
that  of  Juan  Sanchez  and  Jose  Gomez. 

By  an  odd  coincidence,  the  month  after  the  de- 
parture of  Don  Jose  Michel  from  San  Francisco, 
a  brilliant  gentleman  of  nearly  the  same  name 
appeared  in  Quito,  Ecuador,  where  he  pursued  a 
course  so  exactly  similar  in  character  to  that  of 
Gomez,  Sanchez,  and  Michel,  that  it  was  not  diffi- 
cult to  imagine  that  that  ubiquitous  person  was 
identical  with  the  elegant  Don  Pedro  Michel  who 
created  such  a  brief  excitement  in  Quito,  termi- 
nating with  forgeiy  and  a  hasty  flight. 

About  two  years  previous  to  the  time  of  which 
I  write,  a  wealthy  Brazilian  arrived  in  London, 
and  became  a  great  favorite  in  society.  His  wife 
was  a  bountiful  Spaniard,  and  her  exquisite  taste, 
courtesy,  and  knowledge  of  the  world  wore  highly 
appreciated  l»y  tho  select  circle  of  aristocracy  into 
which  she  and  her  husband  were  soon  admit!*  .1 
6* 


130  A  FRAUDULENT   SCHEME. 

Don  Jos6  Arias  was  the  name  of  this  gentleman 
and  he  was  soon  known  in  nearly  every  drawing- 
room  in  Belgravia.  He  was  introduced  by  the 
Brazilian  charge  d'affaires,  in  the  absence  of  the 
Minister  Resident,  and  this  semi-official  guarantee 
of  his  position  in  Brazil  gave  him  a  passport  every- 
where. It  was  not  strange,  therefore,  that  such  a 
handsome,  refined,  and  agreeable  couple  should 
be  cordially  and  hospitably  received,  especially  as 
their  wealth  was  undoubtedly  enormous,  while 
their  manners  showed  that  they  had  been  born  in 
the  purple  of  aristocracy.  It  was  a  sad  shock  to 
society  when  it  was  learned  that  Don  Jose  and 
Donna  Maria  had  absconded  suddenly,  taking  with 
them  about  fifty  thousand  pounds  sterling,  ob- 
tained by  forgery.  It  was  then  learned  that  the 
Brazilian  legation  had  been  the  victim  of  forged 
documents  also,  though  the  intimate  acquaintance 
of  Don  Jose  with  the  policy  and  statecraft  of 
Brazil  in  many  important  affairs  had  contributed 
largely  to  his  success  in  deceiving  the  young 
diplomat  who  was  temporarily  in  charge  of  the 
legation. 

It  was  not  until  more  than  a  year  after  this  oc- 
currence that  Don  Pedro  P.  L.  de  Morito  arrived 
in  New  York,  with  his  beautiful  wife,  Donna 
Lucia.  They  did  not  stop  long  in  New  York  after 
their  arrival,  but  spent  the  latter  part  of  the  sum- 
mer in  the  White  Mountains  in  a  very  retired 
manner,  although  they  lived  in  the  best  style 
that  the  place  afforded.  In  August,  they  made 
a  hasty  trip  to  Washington  and  back  to  New 


A  VRAUDULENT  SCHEME.  131 

York  again,  where  the_y  o?pvmamore  pretentious 
mode  of  life  than  they  had  chosen  theretofore. 
Don  Pedro  kept  a  yacht  elegantly  fitted  up,  and 
his  horses  were  the  best  that  money  could  ob- 
tain. His  bachelor  suppers  were  models  of  epi- 
curean perfection,  and  when  his  wife  gave  a  re- 
ception, everything  was  in  the  best  taste  and 
style.  While  visiting  Washington,  Don  Pedro 
had  met  Senator  Muirhead,  who  had  gone  there 
for  a  few  days  on  public  business,  and  the  ac- 
quaintance was  renewed  in  New  York,  where  the 
Senator  had  some  private  interests  demanding 
his  attention.  Something  had  led  the  Senator  to 
connect  Don  Pedro  with  Gomez,  Sanchez,  Michel, 
and  Arias,  and  though  the  idea  was  a  vague  one 
in  his  mind,  it  was  sufficiently  fixed  to  cause  him 
to  institute  inquiries  into  Seiior  Morito's  antece- 
dents. As  previously  stated,  nothing  could  be 
learned  of  him  previous  to  his  arrival  in  New 
York,  and  the  only  circumstance  which  could 
possibly  be  regarded  as  suspicious  was,  that  both 
in  Washington  and  New  York  he  had  avoided 
meeting  the  Peruvian  Minister  and  other  fellow- 
countrymen. 

The  peculiarity  of  the  case  interested  me,  and, 
after  a  long  conversation  with  the  Senator,  I 
agreed  to  unravel  the  slight  mystery  surrounding 
the  parties,  and  to  make  a  complete  review  of 
their  past  history  so  far  as  it  might  be  possible 
obtain  it.     No  harm  could   result  from  such  a 
course,  whether  they  were  honest  or  the  revei 
and  r,o,  having  decided  upon  a  simple  plan,  1 


132  A  FRAUDULENT   SCHEME. 

turned  to  Chicago  to  splc^u  the  persons  to  repre- 
sent me  in  Gloster. 

My  preliminary  survey  of  the  field  had  brought 
me  into  contact  with  many  of  the  most  fashion 
able  people  in  Gloster;  and,  as  I  foresaw  that  my 
operatives  would  be  called  upon  to  move  in  the 
best  society  while  engaged  in  this  investigation,  I 
obtained  as  extended  information  about  the  mem- 
bers of  the  creme  de  la  creme  as  possible.  Since 
many  of  them  will  figure  conspicuously  in  the 
incidents  of  this  story,  a  brief  description  of  the 
leaders  will  be  necessary. 

One  of  the  wealthiest  men  of  Gloster  was  a 
bachelor,  named  Henry  0.  Mather.  He  was 
about  fifty  years  old,  but  he  still  retained  much 
of  the  fire  of  youth,  and  he  was  one  of  the  most 
popular  members  of  society.  -  At  an  early  day  in 
the  history  of  the  Great  West  he  had  settled  at 
Gloster,  where  he  had  invested  largely  in  unim- 
proved lands;  and,  by  forethought  and  good 
judgment  in  his  speculations,  he  had  rapidly  in- 
creased his  property  in  extent  and  value,  until, 
at  this  time,  he  was  one  of  the  few  millionaires 
west  of  the  Alleghanies.  About  three  years  pre- 
vious to  the  time  of  which  I  write,  he  had  in- 
vested largely  in  the  new  railroad  schemes  then 
organized,  and  his  importance  as  a  railway  mag- 
nate was  recognized  throughout  the  whole  coun- 
try. His  reputation  as  a  shrewd  business  man 
made  him  a  species  of  authority  among  his  1V1- 
low- townspeople,  and  few  persons  would  havo 
ventured  to  distrust  the  safety  of  any  enterprise 


A   FRAUDULENT   SCHEME.  133 

in  which  he  was  actively  interested.  Indeed,  so 
complete  was  the  confidence  of  most  men  in  him, 
that  it  was  not  considered  necessary  in  buying 
real  estate  to  trace  the  title  further  back  than  to 
Ht'nry  0.  Mather,  a  deed  from  him  being  consid- 
ered as  secure  as  a  patent  from  the  government. 
Personally  he  was  a  very  agreeable  man,  being 
gallant  without  affectation,  and  brilliant  without 
priggishness.  His  figure  was  of  medium  height, 
compactly  built,  and  he  carried  himself  with  an 
erect  bearing  and  springy  gait,  which  greatly 
aided  in  deceiving  strangers  as  to  his  age.  His 
hair  was  brown,  turning  gradually  to  gray,  and 
he  wore  full  gray  side- whiskers.  His  features 
were  quite  pleasing  Except  the  mouth,  which  was 
rather  large  and  sensual.  On  the  whole,  he  was 
a  man  with  uncommon  ability  to  please  when  he 
felt  disposed  to  exert  himself,  and  his  great 
wealth  was  an  additional  charm  which  soci 
was  not  slow  to  recognize.  He  owned  a  largo 
house,  occupying  the  whole  of  a  square  in  the 
most  fashionable  part  of  the  city,  and  his  sister- 
in-luw  was  installed  as  its  mistress. 

Richard  Perkins  was  an  Englishman  who  had 
long  lived  in  Gloster,  where  he  owned  the  largest 
l)ic\\ cry  in  the  West.  He  was  of  middle  height, 
but  being  quite  fleshy,  his  gait  was  a  kind  of 
waddle— the  reverse  of  elegant  or  dignified.  His 
smooth,  round,  jovial  face  was  strongly  expres- 
sive of  an  appreciation  of  the  good  things  of  this 
world,  and  ho  rarely  denied  himself  any  indul- 
grnro  Iliat  passion  craved  and  that  money  could 
procure. 


134  A  FRAUDULENT   SCHEME. 

It  was  while  Mather  and  Perkins  were  on  their 
annual  visit  to  New  York  that  they  met  Senor 
Morito  and  his  beautiful  wife,  Donna  Lucia. 
The  distinguished  foreigners  soon  made  a  com- 
plete conquest  of  both  the  western  gentlemen, 
who  invited  them  in  the  most  cordial  manner  to 
visit  Gloster  at  their  earliest  convenience. 

The  delights  of  New  York  society  were  enjoyed 
for  several  months  by  these  wealthy  and  aristo- 
cratic foreigners  before  they  were  able  to  keep 
the  promise  made  to  Mather  and  Perkins ;  for 
they  were  entertained  by  the  old  Knickerbocker 
families  of  Manhattan  in  a  princely  style.  They 
were  the  guests  of  the  most  exclusive  circles  of 
the  city,  and  everywhere  fhey  displayed  suck, 
perfect  courtesy,  good  breeding,  and  savoir  faire, 
that  it  was  evident  they  were  accustomed  to 
wealth  and  high  social  position.  They  had  ele- 
gant apartments  in  the  leading  hotel  of  the  city, 
and  their  cash  expenditures  showed  the  posses- 
sion of  an  unlimited  fortune.  They  finally  tore 
themselves  away  from  New  York,  arriving  in 
Gloster  during  the  comparatively  dull  season  of 
Lent.  Here  their  fame  had  become  known  in 
society  through  the  incessant  praises  of  Mather 
and  Perkins,  and  their  reception  into  the  highest 
circles  was  coincident  with  their  arrival.  The 
unanimous  verdict  of  those  who  made  their  ac- 
quaintance was,  that  Gloster  had  never  enter- 
tained two  more  thoroughly  pleasing  guests  than 
the  Don  and  Donna  Morito. 

Don  Pedro  was  about  forty  years  of  age,  but 


A  FRAUDULENT  SCHEME.  135 

he  had  all  the  brilliancy  and  ease  of  a  man  of 
thirty.  His  figure  was  very  fine,  being  slightly 
above  the  medium  height,  erect,  compact,  and 
muscular.  His  hands  and  feet  were  small  and 
elegantly  shaped,  but  WI.TO  not  effeminate.  His 
rich  oliye  complexion  was  in  admirable  harmony 
with  his  soft  black  eyes  and  deep  red  lips.  His 
face  was  a  good  oval,  without  being  unmanly, 
and  his  black,  glossy  hair  was  beautifully  curly 
and  wavy.  He  wore  side-whiskers  and  a  long 
moustache,  beneath  which  his  smile,  the  ladies 
said,  was  faultless.  Like  most  South  Americans, 
he  seemed  too  lazy  to  be  unamiable,  and  his  gen- 
eral style  was  that  of  a  man  who,  having  pos- 
sessed wealth  always,  would  be  perfectly  lost, 
without  it. 

Ponna  Lucia  was  a  fine  specimen  of  Spanish 
b«±a  ity,  education,  and  refinement.  It  was  easy 
to  see  that  she  possessed  more  force  of  character 
than  her  husband,  and  that  her  passionate  nature 
was  like  a  volcano,  which  might  burst  forth  at 
any  time,  driving  her  to  the  most  dangerous 
courses  if  it  took  possession  of  her.  A  detailed 
description  of  such  a  woman  is  an  impossibility. 
In  general,  she  was  a  beauty  of  the  Andalusian 
type,  as  nearly  perfect  in  form  and  feature  as  can 
be  conceived;  but  her  expression  was  of  an  infi- 
nite variety  of  characters,  each  one  giving  the 
precise  shade  of  meaning  most  applicable  to  the 
time,  place,  person,  and  sentiment.  In  short,  she 
was  so  near  perfection  that  nearly  all  the  men  she 
11H.-1  Were  in  lov<-  wilh  hn,  ;m<l  mil.  i«-iitlis  of 


136  A  FRAUDULENT  SCHEME. 

them  more  than  half  believed  that  she  regretted 
her  marriage  for  their  sake.  Nevertheless,  she 
kept  all  admirers  at  a  certain  distance,  which 
only  bewitched  them  the  more. 

At  the  time  of  which  I  write,  Don  Pedro  was 
so  much  pleased  with  Gloster,  that  he  had  rented 
a  large  residence  in  a  very  fashionable  locality, 
and  was  making  preparations  to  spend  a  y far- 
there.  The  charming  manner  in  which  they  had 
entertained  their  friends  at  the  hotel  was  ample 
guarantee  that  when  the  Don  and  Donna  were 
established  in  their  new  home,  they  would  sur- 
patss  anything  in  the  way  of  festivities  ever  seen 
in  Gioster;  hence,  all  the  best  society  of  the  place 
rejoiced  greatly  at  the  arrival  of  this  new  Con- 
stellation in  the  social  firmament. 

Among  the  bachelors  most  noted  in  salons  and 
parlors  of  the  city  were  Daniel  McCarthy  and 
Charles  Sylvanus,  the  former  a  lawyer,  and  the 
latter  a  journalist.  McCarthy  was  an  Irishman, 
of  brilliant  talents  and  ready  wit.  Although  still 
comparatively  a  young  man,  he  was  the  county 
persecuting  attorney,  and  was  considered  one  of 
the  foremost  lawyers  of  the  city.  He  was  v< 
blocking  and  good-hearted,  and  his  natural 
lefty  made  him  a  most  entertaining  companion . 
While  speaking  in  court,  and  often  in  society,  he 
had  a  habit  of  running  his  fingers  through  his 
long,  thick  hair,  which  he  would  also,  at  times, 
throw  back  with  a  peculiar  jerk  of  his  head. 
This  habit  was  especially  frequent  when  he  be- 
came deeply  interested  in  his  subject,  and  tho 


A  FRAUDULENT  SCHEME.  137 

spectators  could  always  tell  whether  Dau  was 
doing  his  best,  even  when  they  could  not  hear  his 
words. 

Sylvanus  was  editor  and  part  proprietor  of  an 
evening  newspaper.  As  a  journalist  he  was  not 
above  mediocrity,  but  he  was  well  received  in 
society,  w^here  even  a  moderate  allowance  of 
brains  will  suffice  for  success. 

A  conspicuous  member  of  society  and  a  pillar 
of  the  Swedenborgian  church  was  Mr.  John  Pres- 
ton, a  banker  and  capitalist.  With  a  book  of 
Swedenborgian  revelations  in  one  hand  and  a 
bundle  of  tax  titles  in  the  other,  he  w^ould  fre- 
quently orate  to  a  crowd  of  unbelievers,  from  a 
text  drawn  from  his  book,  in  a  manner  calculated 
to  quite  convert  them,  were  it  not  that  they  knew 
he  was  only  working  up  a  fresh  head  of  steam  to 
enable  him  to  grind  the  faces  of  the  poor  upon 
whose  property  he  held  tax  titles.  In  fact,  many 
people  were  of  the  opinion  that  this  man  was  a 
dangerous  character,  in  spite  of  his  pretense  of 
piety,  his  ostentatious  charity,  and  his  assump- 
tion of  the  role  of  a  professional  philanthropist. 
They  insinuated  that  a  man  could  afford  to  give 
largely  to  an  astronomical  society,  a  college,  an, 
academy  of  sciences,  and  other  objects  of  educa- 
tion, when  he  had  appropriated  many  thousands 
of  dollars  belonging  to  the  school  fund  to  his  own 
use;  that  he  could  easily  contribute  freely  to  his 
church,  when  he  used  the  church  property  in  his 
own  interests  and  managed  the  society  to  suit 
himself ;  and  that  there  was  no  great  amount  of 


138  A  FRAUDULENT  SCHEME. 

philanthropy  in  giving  a  few  hundred  dollars  to 
miscellaneous  charities,  when  he  made  ten  times 
the  amount  in  shaving  notes  at  usurious  interest 
and  acquiring  land  by  means  only  one  remove 
from  actual  theft;  these  things  were  becoming  so 
notorious  that  a  man  of  less  indomitable  brass 
than  John  Preston  would  have  long  since  been 
sent  to  Coventry,  if  not  to  jail;  but  he  revolved 
on  his  own  center,  sublimely  indifferent  to  the 
attacks  of  his  enemies,  for  whom,  by  the  way,  he 
used  to  pray  with  most  fervent  unction.  His 
wife  was  a  pleasant,  motherly  woman,  who  gave 
liberally  to  charitable  objects,  and  who  regarded 
her  husband  as  one  of  the  saints  of  the  earth. 

There  were  three  children — a  young  man  and 
two  girls.  The  former  gave  no  promise  of  either 
ability,  probity,  or  ambition,  and  there  was  about 
him  a  noticeable  air  of  deficiency  in  both  mental 
and  moral  worth.  The  girls  were  commonplace 
nonentities,  with  no  pretensions  to  beauty  or 
grace. 

One  of  the  most  prominent  citizens  of  Gloster 
was  a  wealthy  tanner,  named  Charles  H.  Sanders. 
Having  foreseen  at  an  early  day  the  great  pro- 
gress which  the  city  would  make  in  population 
and  importance,  he  had  invested  largely  in  tracts 
of  unimproved  land,  which  he  held  against  all 
offers  to  purchase  until  his  real  estate  was  more 
extended  and  valuable  than  that  of  any  other 
property-owner  in  the  city.  Personally  he  w.-is 
very  thin  and  angular,  with  such  a  sickly  look 
that  his  death  seemed  possible  any  lay,  though 


A  FRAUDULENT  SCHEME.  139 

his  constitution  was  of  that  character  which 
might  hold  out  much  longer  than  that  of  a  more 
robust  type.  His  wife  was  a  very  charming 
woman,  and  they  had  two  young  daughters,  who 
gave  promise  of  considerable  beauty  when  they 
should  arrive  at  maturity. 

Mr.  Thomas  Burke  and  his  wife  were,  perhaps, 
the  most  general  favorites  in  Gloster  society. 
Mr.  Burke  was  tall  and  well  built,  and  his  large 
head  and  commanding  appearance  made  him  con- 
spicuous in  any  group.  He  had  a  broad,  high 
forehead,  heavy  eyebrows,  deep-set  black  eyes,  a 
Roman  nose,  and  a  heavy  black  moustache,  which 
completely  covered  his  mouth .  His  straight,  black 
hair,  high  cheek-bones,  and  swarthy  complexion, 
gave  him  slightly  the  look  of  having  Indian  blood 
in  his  veins;  but  the  rest  of  his  features  were  un- 
mistakably Celtic,  and  the  moment  he  spoke,  the- 
Irishman  stood  confessed.  He  was  a  man  of  such 
extensive  reading  and  general  information  that 
few  persons  excelled  him  in  conversation.  His 
wife  was  also  cultivated  and  intelligent,  so  that 
either  as  guest  or  hostess  she  was  equally  agree- 
able and  popular.  They  had  a  large  family  of 
bright  and  interesting  children. 

One  of  the  social  curiosities  of  the  city  was 
known  as  Deacon  Humphrey.  He  was  a  striking 
instance  of  the  importance  which  self-complacent 
mediocrity  can  obtair  in  a  newly-settled  com- 
munity, in  spite  of  ponderous  stupidity.  His 
large  head  gave  him  his  only  excuse  for  profess- 
ing to  have  brains,  and  his  air  of  preoccupation 


140  A  FRAUDULENT  SCHEME. 

made  him  in  appearance  the  personification 
of  wisdom;  indeed,  a  witty  journalist,  who  had 
sounded  the  depths  of  Humphrey's  ignoraivc'. 
once  said  that  "no  man  could  be  as  wise  as 
Humphrey  looked"  No  better  condensation  (f 
this  character  in  a  few  words  could  be  made.  He 
was  part  proprietor  of  a  morning  newspaper,  and 
at  times,  to  the  dismay  of  the  other  stockholders, 
he  aspired  to  the  editorial  tripod.  The  mighty 
lucubrations  of  his  intellect  were  generally  as- 
signed to  the  waste-basket,  and  in  the  city  it  was 
well  known  that  his  influence  in  the  columns  of 
the  paper  was  absolutely  nothing,  though  in  the 
country  he  was  still  regarded  with  awe  by  the 
bucolic  mind.  He  was  generally  known  as 
"  Deacon  "  from  his  honorary  occupancy  of  that 
office  in  a  Presbyterian  church.  Mrs.  Humphrey 
was  seldom  seen,  being  in  poor  health  almost  con- 
stantly, but  their  only  daughter,  Jennie,  was  one 
of  the  foremost  of  the  fashionable  of  the  dilet- 
tanti of  the  city.  Indeed,  it  was  confidently  an- 
ticipated that,  some  day,  Miss  Jennie  would  burst 
forth  as  a  full-blown  authoress,  and  overpower  an 
expectant  public  with  the  radiance  of  her  intel- 
lect and  the  elegance  of  her  style. 

No  description  of  Gloster  celebrities  would  be 
complete  without  that  of  Ethan  Allen  Benson, 
Esq.,  formerly  Member  of  Congress,  and  late 
Minister  Plenipotentiary  at  an  important  Euro- 
pean court.  The  suggestion  having  once  been 
made  to  him  by  some  waggish  diplomat  that  he 
resembled  the  first  Napoleon,  he  was  ever  after- 


A   FRAUDULENT   SCHEME.  141 

ward  desirous  of  drawing  attention  to  this  fan- 
cied resemblance.  He  was  a  vain,  i  Ussy,  conse- 
quential politician,  whose  principal  strength  was 
in  the  ward  caucus  and  the  saloon. 

Judge  Peter  B.  Taylor  was  another  old  settler, 
and  he  was  frequently  seen  in  social  circles  in 
spite  of  his  age.  His  forehead  was  very  broad 
indeed,  but  his  face  tapered  so  rapidly  to  a 
pointed  chin  as  to  make  his  head  wedge-shaped- 
He  had  coarse,  faded  hair,  but  no  whiskers  nor 
beard,  and  only  a  scrubby,  gray  moustache.  He 
had  a  singular  habit  of  working  his  eyes  inde- 
pendently of  each  other,  and  the  effect  upon  a 
stranger  who  was  not  aware  of  this  peculiarity 
was  sometimes  startling.  His  mouth  was  quite 
large,  one  side  appearing  larger  than  the  other, 
and  his  lower  lip  slightly  protruded,  giving  him  a 
very  harsh  and  forbidding  appearance.  He  had 
at  one  time  occupied  a  seat  on  the  judicial  bench, 
but  few  persons  could  understand  on  what 
grounds  he  deserved  the  office,  unless  it  were 
that  people  believed  the  adage  about  a  poor  law- 
yer making  a  good  judge.  He  was  quite  wealthy, 
and  his  business  was  that  of  a  money  leaner  and 
real  estate  speculator.  He  was  considered  to  be 
very  pious  and  charitable— on  Sunday;  during 
the  rest  of  the  week  no  Shylock  ever  demanded 
his  pound  of  flesh  more  relentlessly  than  he  his 
three  per  cent,  a  month. 

It  was  among  a  society  of  which  the  foregoing 
were  shining  rights,  that  I  was  to  operate  at  the 
request  of  Senator  Muirhead.  On  returning  to 


142  A  FRAUDULENT  SCHEME. 

Chicago  from  Gloster,  I  gave  a  great  deal  of 
thought  to  the  case,  for  there  was  so  little  to  act 
upon  that  none  of  the  ordinary  plans  could  be 
depended  upon.  During  his  stay  in  this  country, 
Don  Pedro  had  apparently  acted  in  a  perfectly 
honorable  manner  toward  every  one,  and  it 
would  be  impossible  to  proceed  against  him  le- 
gally in  the  United  States  for  crimes  committed 
elsewhere,  until  the  aggrieved  parties  should  take 
the  necessary  steps  for  his  extradition  ;  with  sev- 
eral of  the  countries  in  which  he  was  supposed  to 
have  committed  his  crimes  we  had  no  extradition 
treaty,  and  nothing  could  be  done  here  to  arrest 
or  punish  him ;  hence,  the  task  of  exposing  his 
previous  career  might  be  fruitless,  even  though 
the  Senator's  suspicions  should  be  confirmed  in 
every  particular.  Nothing  whatever  could  be 
adduced  against  his  character  since  his  arrival  in 
the  United  States,  and  I  was,  therefore,  confined 
to  the  prevention  of  future  frauds  rather  than 
the  detection  of  old  ones.  The  primary  object  of 
my  efforts  was  thus  made  to  be  the  discovery  of 
the  Don's  intentions,  as,  without  some  slight 
forecast  of  his  plans,  I  might  be  unable  to  cir- 
cumvent them.  Accordingly,  I  decided  that  I 
must  furnish  him  with  a  friend  who  would  be 
sufficiently  intimate  with  him  to  become  his 
trusted  companion  and  adviser.1 .  At  the  same 
time,  it  would  be  essential  to  learn  as  much  as 
possible  relative  to  the  previous  career  of  both 
the  Don  and  Donna,  for  it  might  be  desirable  to 
use  a  little  moral  suasion  with  them  by  showing 


MR.    PINKERTON  AS  A  -ABORER.  14" 

that  their  history  was  known.  This  plan  would 
involve  no  injustice  to  them,  for,  if  innocent  of 
wrong-doing,  they  would  never  know  that  they 
had  been  under  surveillance ;  whilef  if  guilty, 
they  deserved  no  consideration. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Madame  Sevier,  Widow,  of  Chicago,  and  Monsieur 
Lesparre,  of  Bordeaux,  also  arrive  at  Gloster. — 
Mr.  Phikerton,  as  a  Laborer,  anxious  for  a  Job, 
inspects  the  Morito  Mansion. — A  Tender  Scene, 
resulting  in  Profit  to  the  fascinating  Seftortt. — 
Madame  /Sevier  is  installed  as  a  Guest  at  Don 
Pedro's. 

MY  first  action  in  this  affair  was  to  detail  a 
man  to  "shadow"  Don  Pedro  and  the 
Donna  until  the  detectives  chosen  for  the  more 
difficult  portions  of  the  work  should  he  in  a  posi 
tion  to  take  notice  of  all  their  movements.  As 
three  detectives  would  require  some  little  prepa- 
ration to  gain  the  position  I  desired  them  to  fill,  I 
hastened  to  select  them  and  give  them  their 
instructions.  For  this  mission  I  detailed  a 
married  couple,  who  had  been  several  years  in 
my  employ.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rosel  were  natives  of 
France,  and  as  they  had  been  constantly  in  my 
service  almost  from  the  time  of  their  arrival  in 
this  country,  I  felt  sure  they  would  not  b;i  recog- 
nized as  detectives  by  any  one  in  the  city  of 


144  MR.    PINKERTON  AS   A   LABORER. 

Gloster.  They  were  peoplo  of  more  than  average 
intelligence  and  education,  with  a  natural  refine- 
ment which  would  be  especially  desirable  in  the 
prosecution  of  this  case.  In  a  few  days  all  their 
preparations  were  completed,  and  they  went  to 
Gloster  by  different  routes. 

Mrs.  Rosel  was  not  handsome,  but  she  had  a 
good  figure,  and  she  was  very  attractive,  on  ac- 
count of  her  dashing,  spirited  ways,  and  because 
she  could  assume  a  deep  interest  in  every  one 
whom  she  met.  She  spoke  English  with  so  slight 
an  accent  that  it  was  only  noticed  as  an  added 
charm  to  her  winning  conversation.  I  instructed 
"her  to  represent  herself  in  Gloster  as  Madame 
Sevier,  the  widow  of  a  lace  merchant,  lately  of 
Chicago,  where  he  had  carried  on  a  moderate 
business.  His  death  had  thrown  his  affairs  into 
-some  confusion,  but  the  estate  would  be  settled 
up  soon,  leaving  a  comfortable  fortune  to  his 
widow.  Madame  Sevier  did  not  like  the  climate 
of  Chicago,  and  therefore  she  had  decided  to 
remain  in  Gloster  until  her  business  affairs  \vcr<> 
settled,  when  she  would  probably  return  to  her 
relatives  in  France.  I  intended  that  she  should 
mix  in  society  as  much  as  would  be  consistent 
with  her  character  as  a  widow,  and  that  she 
should  endeavor  to  become  intimate  with  Donna 
Lucia. 

Mr.  Rosel  was  to  make  a  slight  detour,  arriving 
in  Gloster  from  the  east.  He  would  be  known 
as  Monsieur  Girard  Lesparre,  and  his  ostensible 
character  was  to  be  that  of  a  man  of  moderate 


MR.  PINKERTON  AS  A  LABORER.      145 

capital  from  Bordeaux,  looking  for  a  favorable 
opportunity  to  invest  some  of  his  means  in  a 
profitable  business. 

I  followed  the  Eosels  in  a  day  or  two,  and  found 
tli  at  Monsieur  Lesparre  was  pleasantly  located 
at  a  fashionable  family  hotel,  while  Madame 
Sevier  had  taken  apartments  in  a  stylish  board- 
ing-house only  a  few  doors  from  the  handsome 
residence  which  the  Moritos  were  to  occupy. 
This  was  quite  satisfactory,  and  I  turned  my 
attention  to  the  examination  of  the  reports  made 
by  my  ' '  shadow. "  The  reports  were  very  monot- 
onous in  character,  except  as  evidences  Of  the 
popularity  of  the  Don  and  Donna.  The  dull  days 
of  Lent  had  just  passed,  and  the  close  of  the 
season  was  now  more  crowded  with  parties  and 
balls  than  the  earlier  portion  had  been.  The 
presence  of  two  such  distinguished  guests  as  Don 
Pedro  and  Donna  Lucia  contributed  largely  to  the 
reasons  for  this  rush  of  gayety,  and  they  were 
overwhelmed  with  visitors  and  invitations.  Mr. 
Mather  had  set  the  example  by  giving  a  large 
dinner-party  in  their  honor,  followed  in  the  even- 
ing by  a  grand  ball;  and  they  had  so  charmed 
tlio  other  leaders  of  society  that  no  entertainment 
was  considered  complete  without  the  presence, 
of  Don  Pedro  P.  L.  de  Morito  and  his  beautiful 
wife. 

On  leaving  my  hotel  to  visit  the  house  which 
Don  Pedro  was  fitting-  up  for  his  residence,  I  met 
Charlie  Morton,  the  United  States  Commissioner 
of  Gloster.  Morion  was  a  capable  lawyer  and  $ 

7 


14:6  MR.    PINKERTON   AS   A  LABORER. 

shrewd  politician.  He  was  equally  attentive  to 
ladies  as  to  gentlemen,  and  it  was  well  known 
that  Charlie  would  never  slight  any  one  who 
could  cast  or  influence  a  vote.  His  acquaintance 
extended  through  all  classes,  from  the  lowest  to 
t&e  highest,  and  few  men  were  more  generally 
popular.  His  powers  of  observation  were  only 
equaled  by  his  tact,  so  that,  while  he  saw  all 
that  went  on  about  him,  he  never  talked  indis- 
creetly. He  and  I  were  quite  intimate,  and  we 
chatted  for  some  time  about  various  people  before 
I  succeeded  in  bringing  up  the  names  of  those  in 
Gloster  in  whom  I  was  just  then  most  interested. 

"  I  suppose  you  are  quite  glad  that  the  gay  sea- 
son is  over,  Charlie,"  I  said,  interrogatively.  "As 
usual,  you  will  not  have  many  social  events  of 
any  consequence  after  Lent,  I  presume? " 

"Oh!  yes,  indeed,"  he  replied;  "we  shall  be 
more  active  in  society  for  the  next  month  or  two 
than  ever  before.  You  see,  we  have  two  wealthy 
and  aristocratic  Peruvians  visiting  Gloster,  and 
they  are  so  fascinating  that  they  have  quite  taken 
our  people  by  storm.  They  have  been  accus 
tomed  to  the  finest  society  of  Europe  and  South 
America,  so  that  we  are  put  upon  our  mettle  to 
show  how  well  Gloster  can  compare  in  wealth 
luxury,  and  refinement  with  older  cities  at  home 
and  abroad." 

"  Are  they  then  such  remarkable  lions  ? "  I 
asked,  "or  do  people  run  after  them  simply  bo- 
cause  they  are  rich  foreigners  ? " 

"  Of  course  their  wealth    and  foreign    birth 


MR.  HNKERTON  AS  A  LABORER.       147 

would  cause  many  people  to  pay  them  attention/' 
said  Morton  ;  "  but  their  popularity  is  something 
exceptional,  and  is  undoubtedly  due  to  their  per- 
fect knowledge  of  all  the  courtesies  and  customs 
of  modern  society,  to  their  charming  manners, 
and  largely  to  their  personal  good  looks.  Senor 
Morito  has  fascinated  all  the  ladies,  while  nearly 
every  man  in  society  is  in  love  with  the  Senora. " 

"Well,  take  care  of  yourself,  my  boy,"  I  said, 
jokingly.  "If  the  lovely  Donna  causes  Charlie 
Morton  to  strike  his  colors,  she  must  be  danger- 
ous indeed." 

After  leaving  Morton,  I  sauntered  along  to  the 
house  which  Don  Pedro  had  rented,  and  which 
was  now  nearly  ready  for  occupancy.  It  was  a 
large  residence,  with  ample  grounds  fronting  on 
the  principal  avenue,  and  its  imposing  front  of 
heavy  columns  gave  it  a  striking  appearance  as 
compared  with  the  more  commonplace  stone 
fronts  around  it.  While  I  was  glancing  curiously 
about,  a  truck  arrived  laden  with  costly  furniture. 
I  was  rather  roughly  dressed,  and  the  driver 
asked  me  if  I  wanted  a  job  of  work.  I  accepted 
his  offer  to  aid  in  carrying  the  furniture  into  the 
house,  as  I  was  anxious  to  examine  the  interior. 
After  finishing  the  job,  the  furniture  salesman 
took  me  over  the  house  to  show  off  the  elegance 
with  which  it  was  decorated  and  furnished.  It 
was  certainly  ;i  model  of  good  taste,  while  the 
paintings,  statuary,  frescoing,  and  articles  of 
bijouterie  were  evidences  of  enormous  expendi- 
tures. Having  obtained  a  thorough  knowledge 


148  MR.    PINKERTON   AS  A    LABORER. 

of  the  plan  of  the  house,  I  withdrew,  receiving 
fifty  cents  for  my  labor. 

The  time  when  Don  Pedro  was  to  occupy  hig 
residence  was  to  be  signalized  by  a  grand  recep- 
tion held  therein,  and  the  invitations  were  already 
out.  Meantime  entertainments  were  given  by 
John  Preston,  Alexander  Mclntyre,  and  Charles 
H.  Sanders.  The  latter's  reception  was  especially 
brilliant,  and  those  who  knew  Mr.  Sanders's  par- 
simonious character  were  much  surprised  at  his 
profuse  expenditure  for  the  occasion.  I  soon 
afterwards  obtained  an  explanation  of  this  un- 
usual liberality,  by  hearing  another  banker  casu- 
ally remark  that  Don  Pedro  had  withdrawn  a 
part  of  his  funds  from  New  York,  and  had  de 
posited  them  in  Mr.  Sanders's  bank.  This  gave 
me  a  hint,  and  I  immediately  acted  upon  it.  Be- 
ing well  acquainted  with  a  number  of  bankers,  I 
visited  several  of  them,  and  talked  about  various 
business  men  of  Gloster,  as  if  I  were  desirous  of 
getting  information  about  their  commercial  stand- 
ing and  credit.  In  each  case  I  succeeded  in  learn- 
ing the  extent  to  which  Don  Pedro  had  deposited 
money  in  bank.  The  total  amount  then  due  him 
by  the  three  houses  with  whom  he  had  made  de- 
posits was  about  $17,000,  although  his  original 
deposits  had  amounted  to  more  than  double  that 
sum.  Heavy  drafts  to  pay  his  current  expenses 
and  to  furnish  his  house  had  largely  reduced  his 
available  cash,  though  he  still  had  an  ample  sum 
011  hand.  Knowing  how  enormous  his  expenses 
were,  I  felt  sure  that  he  would  reach  the  end  of 


MR.    PINKERTON  AS  A  LABORER.  149 

his  bank  account  in  a  short  time,  unless  he  should 
have  other  funds,  of  whose  existence  I  was  un 
aware.  If  this  sum  of  seventeen  thousand  dol- 
lars represented  his  total  capital,  however,  ho 
would  soon  show  whether  he  was  what  he 
claimed  to  be,  or  an  adventurer;  for,  in  the 
former  case,  he  would  draw  money  from  his 
Peruvian  estates,  and,  in  the  latter,  he  would  ac- 
complish some  great  swindle.  I  was,  therefore, 
anxious  to  put  my  detectives  at  work  as  quickly 
as  possible  to  enable  me  to  learn  something  defi- 
nite of  his  intentions. 

Madame  Sevier  was  making  quite  rapid  progress 
in  her  new  quarters.  Mrs.  Courtney,  the  lady 
who  kept  the  house,  was  a  widow  of  some  means, 
who  took  boarders  to  enable  her  to  educate  her 
children  in  the  best  manner.  She  was  highly  re- 
garded by  every  one,  and  her  visiting-list  included 
all  the  most  fashionable  people  in  the  city.  Sho 
soon  became  greatly  interested  in  Madame  Sevier, 
and  through  her  assistance  the  Madame  made 
the  acquaintance  of  a  number  of  the  families 
living  in  the  neighborhood.  As  the  rage  for  for- 
eigners was  at  its  height  just  then,  Madame  Sevier 
soon  became  highly  popular,  and  she  was  invited 
to  several  entertainments,  where  she  met  Don 
Pedro  and  Donna  Lucia.  The  latter,  finding  that 
Madame  Sevier  was  to  be  her  near  neighbor  in 
her  new  residence,  became  very  intimate  with 
her,  especially  as  Donna  Lucia  was  desirous  of 
reviving  her  knowledge  and  practice  of  the  French 
language.  Consequently,  when  Don  Pedro's  ar- 


150  MR.    PINKERTON   AS  A   LABORER. 

rangements  were  all  completed  and  the 
house  occupied,  Madame  Sevier  used  to  drop  in 
for  a  few  minutes'  chat  every  day.  As  she  was 
a  very  capable  manager,  she  was  frequently  able 
to  give  Donna  Lucia  valuable  hints  about  her 
household  affairs,  especially  with  reference  to  the 
approaching  reception. 

Ever  since  the  arrival  of  the  Moritos,  Mr.  Henry 
0.  Mather  had  been  a  constant  attendant  upon 
the  Donna.  His  attentions  had  not  been  so  pub- 
licly marked  as  to  have  created  scandal;  but  he 
had  been  so  assiduous  in  paying  his  regards,  that 
he  was  much  more  intimate  than  Mrs.  Grundy 
would  have  thought  strictly  proper.  He  was  in 
the  habit  of  calling  very  frequently,  and  he  often 
took  the  Don  and  Donna  out  for  a  drive.  Some- 
times the  party  Would  consist  wholly  of  ladies, 
and  occasionally  the  Donna  accompanied  him 
alone.  In  short,  he  became  a  sort  of  intimate 
friend  of  the  family,  welcome  at  all  times,  with- 
out the  necessity  of  invitation  or  ceremony. 

One  day,  Madame  Sevier  went  in  to  see  Donna 
Lucia  in  the  afternoon,  and  was  told  by  the  ser- 
vant that  she  would  find  the  Donna  in  the  library. 
Without  permitting  the  servant  to  announce  her, 
she  passed  on  toward  the  room  mentioned ;  but, 
as  she  approached  the  door,  hearing  voices  with- 
in, she  paused  a  moment  to  see  who  was  with 
Donna  Lucia.  The  room  was  in  a  very  retire! 
part  of  the  house,  and  she  was  able  to  take  a  po- 
sition close  to  the  partly  open  door  without  the 
probability  of  being  noticed  by  any  one.  She 


MR     PINKERTON  AS  A   LABORER.  151 

was  thus  enabled  to  overhear  a  highly  interesting 
( onversatioii  between  the  Donna  and  Henry  0. 
Mather,  who  had  evidently  arrived  only  a  mo- 
ment or  two  before  her. 

"You  are  not  in  good  spirits  to-day,  Donna 
Lucia  ? "  questioned  Mather,  sympathetically. 

"No,  Mr.  Mather;  I  have  my  troubles  at 
times,  like  other  people,  but  I  try  not  to  let 
others  see  them." 

"  Then  you  do  not  care  for  sympathy,  Senora," 
said  Mather,  with  a  tender  sigh ;  "  I  see  that  you 
have  been  in  tears,  and  it  grieves  me  to  think 
that  I  cannot  save  you  from  the  painful  things 
which  cause  you  to  cry." 

"  Oh  !  Mr.  Mather,  I  do  appreciate  your  kind- 
ness, I  assure  you,"  said  the  Donna,  also  sighing 
deeply  ;  "  I  am  almost  tempted  to  ask  your  ad- 
vice, for  I  feel  that  you  are  truly  my  friend ;  but 
I  am  afraid  you  will  think  I  have  been  naughty 
in  having  exposed  myself  to  such  annoyances." 

"  No,  indeed,  my  dear  Donna,"  replied  the  mil- 
lionaire, quite  enraptured  at  this  evident  token 
of  her  confidence  in  him;  "  I  know  that  you  are 
too  lovely  to  be  anything  but  ah  angel,  and  I 
shall  be  only  too  happy  to  give  you  advice  upon 
any  subject  that  you  confide  to  me." 

As  the  conversation  was  becoming  highly  in- 
teresting, the  tones  of  the  parties  being  of  a 
really  lover-like  tenderness,  Madame  Sevier  took 
a  hasty  glimpse  through  the  door,  and  saw  that 
she  could  watch  as  well  as  listen,  unperceived. 
Mather  was  standing  beside  the  Donna,  bending 


152  MB.    PINKEBTON  AS   A  LABORER. 

oveiyher  and  looking  into  her  face,  while  she  had 
her  head  half  turned  away,  as  if  in  coy  hide- 
eision. 

"Well,  Mr.  Mather— 

"  Why  do  you  address  me  always  so  formally? 
Can  you  not  call  me  Henry?"  asked  Mather, 
boldly. 

"  How  would  it  sound  if  any  one  should  hear 
me  ? "  said  the  Donna,  casting  down  her  eyes  and 
playing  with  her  watch-chain. 

"  But  when  we  are  alone  no  one  can  hear 
you,"  replied  Mather.  "  Won't  you  call  me 
Henry  when  we  have  an  occasional  tete-a- 
tete?" 

"Well,  then  you  must  be  very  discreet,  Hen- 
ry," answered  she,  looking  up,  blushing  and  hes- 
itating as  she  spoke. 

"  I  will  be  discretion  itself,"  said  the  now 
wholly  infatuated  Mather,  with  a  look  01 
triumph;  and  to  show  that  he  accepted  the  con- 
ditions of  the  agreement,  he  sealed  it  by  raising 
her  hand  to  his  lips. 

"Oh!  fie!  fie!"  she  exclaimed;  "is  it  thus  that 
you  show  your  discretion?  I  shall  be  obliged 
to  retract  my  promise  if  you  become  so  rash. 
Now,  sit  down  beside  me,  and  be  more  polite  in 
future." 

"  I  will  not  be  so  hasty  again,  my  dear  Donna  ; 
but  my  pleasure  was  so  great  that  I  was  some- 
what beside  myself.  Now  tell  me  what  it  was 
that  caused  your  troubles." 

"Well,  Mr.  Math " 


MK.    PIXKERTON  AS   A   LABORER.  153 

"  No,  no  ;  not  '  Mr.  Mather  ; '  recollect  your 
promise,"  interrupted  Mather,  as  he  saw  she  hes- 
itated to  call  him  by  his  first  name. 

"Well,  then,  Henry,  I  have  been  very  thought- 
less and  extravagant,  and  I  do  not  know  what  to 
do.  You  see,  I  have  always  spent  money  for 
everything  I  needed  without  regard  to  cost ;  for 
my  own  fortune  was  ample  for  everything,  and 
Pedro  would  give  me  any  amount  that  I  might 
desire.  But  last  month  a  draft  for  six  thousand 
pounds,  which  was  sent  me  by  my  trustees,  was 
lost  on  the  way,  and  so  I  have  used  up  all  my 
own  funds.  Having  run  up  several  large  bills  in 
New  York,  I  asked  Pedro  to  pay  them,  and  ho 
did  so;  but  he  said  that,  having  ordered  his  fac- 
tors to  send  him  no  more  money  until  his  arrival 
in  Callao,  he  should  be  somewhat  embarrassed 
until  he  heard  from  them  again.  His  sudden 
determination  to  fit  up  and  occupy  a  residence 
here  has  exhausted  all  his  available  funds  except 
a  few  thousand  dollars  for  current  expenses,  and 
he  requested  me  not  to  make  any  large  purchases 
until  one  of  us  should  receive  a  remittance  from 
our  estates.  Well,  you  see,  I  expected  surely  to 
have  received  a  large  sum  before  now,  and  so  I 
made  purchases  without  regard  to  consequences; 
the  result  is,  that  I  am  deeply  in  debt,  my  money 
has  not  arrived,  and  I  am  afraid  to  tell  Pedro, 
because  he  will  not  forgive  me  for  running  in 
debt  and  disobeying  him.  Unfortunately,  I  have 
done  both  these  things,  and  L  am  momentarily  in 
fear  that  some  of  the  bills  will  be  sent  to  him 


154:  MR.    PINKERTON  AS  A  LABORER. 

Now,  my  dear  Henry,  you  see  that  I  have  good 
cause  to  look  sad  and  cry." 

As  she  finished,  the  Donna  began  to  whimpei 
and  put  her  handkerchief  to  her  eyes  in  so  touch- 
ing a  manner  that  Mather  was  quite  overpow- 
ered. The  artistic  expression  with  which  she 
hastily  called  him  her  "dear  Henry"  was  the 
finishing  touch  to  an  already  powerful  attack, 
and  he  surrendered  completely. 

"My  dear  Donna,"  he  exclaimed,  seizing  her 
hand  in  both  of  his,  "how  glad  I  am  that  you 
confided  in  me.  I  will  see  that  you  are  not 
troubled  by  another  anxious  thought  in  this  mat- 
ter. Tell  me  how  much  you  need  to  settle  all 
your  indebtedness." 

"  Indeed,  Henry,  I  cannot  let  you  do  anything 
of  the  kind,"  she  protested,  feebly.  "  Why,  it  is  a 
very  large  sum  in  all,  and  it  may  be  several 
months  before  I  can  repay  you." 

"Now  don't  talk  about  payment,  but  just  tell 
me  how  much  you  need,"  replied  Mather. 

"  The  large  bills  amount  to  over  four  thousand 
dollars,  and  there  are  a  number  of  small  ones 
which  I  have  not  figured  up,"  she  said,  thought- 
fully. 

"Well,  then,  I  will  bring  you  around  five 
thousand  dollars  to-morrow,  and  you  can  pay 
the  bills  without  any  one  knowing  where  the 
money  comes  from,"  said  Mather,  again  kissing 
her  hand. 

"Oh!  you  dear,  good  fellow!"  exclaimed  the 
Donna;  and,  overcome  by  his  generous  response 


MR.    PINKERTON  AS  A   LABORER.  155 

to  her  request,  she  threw  her  arms  about  hib  neck 
and  kissed  him  several  times. 

"There,  there,"  she  continued,  releasing  her- 
self and  coquettishly  tapping  his  lips  with  her 
hand,  "I  dc n't  know  how  I  came  to  do  such  a 
thing,  but  you  were  so  kind  that  I  couldn't  help 
it." 

"If  that  is  the  case,"  said  the  overjoyed 
Mather,  "  I  will  add  five  thousand  more  to  have 
a  similar  expression  of  your  gratitude." 

"  Will  you,  really?  I  believe  I  am  half  in  love 
with  you,"  she  murmured,  as  she  allowed  him  to 
embrace  her  a  second  time,  and  press  burning; 
kisses  on  her  lips. 

The  ringing  of  the  door-bell  interrupted  their 
happiness,  and  Madame  Sevier  hastily  retired  to 
the  drawing-room,  into  which  other  visitors  were 
shown  by  the  servant.  Donna  Lucia  soon  en- 
tered, perfectly  self-possessed,  and  greeted  all  her 
friends  with  her  usual  ease  and  cordiality.  Mr. 
Mather  probably  passed  out  by  the  library  en- 
trance, for  he  did  not  appear  in  the  parlor.  The 
ladies  conversed  together  for  some  time,  one  of 
the  important  subjects  of  their  talk  being  the 
troubles  of  household  management.  Donna  Lucia 
complained  bitterly  that  her  servants  robbed  her, 
and  that  they  were  careless,  dirty,  and  impudent. 
She  knew  very  little  about  housekeeping,  and 
every  domestic  in  her  employ  took  advantage  of 
her.  She  added  that,  as  soon  as  her  housewann- 
ing  was  over,  she  intended  to  get,  if  possible,  a 
lady  who  would  bo  a  member  of  the  family,  and 


156  MR.    PINKERTON  AS  A   LABORER. 

who  would  relieve  her  of  the  management  of  th« 
house. 

"Now,"  said  she,  in  her  most  winning  man- 
ner, "here  is  Madame  Sevier,  who  has  nothing 
to  occupy  her  time,  who  is  a  natural  manager  of 
other  people,  and  who  is  BO  agreeable  that  she 
would"  be  a  positive  charm  to  any  housenold;  and 
I  hare  been  ffoinking,.  positively,  of  asking  her  to 
take  charge  of  my  whole  establishment,  and  help 
me  entertain  my  guests.  What  should  you  think, 
Madame  Sevier,  of  such  a  request  ?  " 

The  opportunity  of  becoming  domesticated  in 
the  Morito  mansion  was  thus  afforded  to  one  of 
my  detectives,  but  she  knew  better  than  to 
accept  at  once.  She  therefore  professed  to  treat 
it  as  a  pleasantry,  and  said  that  she  had  no  doubt 
that  she  should  succeed  as  a  housekeeper,  but 
whether  she  could  add  anything  of  attraction  to 
such  a  charming  home  was  greatly  to  be  doubted. 
The  other  ladies,  however,  thought  the  idea  an 
admirable  one,  and  they  aU  urged  Madame  Sevier 
to  adopt  it.  Having  once  broached  the  subject, 
Donna  Lucia  again  spoke  of  it  with  the  greatest 
interest,  showing,  by  her  arguments  and  deter- 
mination to  coax  Madame  Sevier  to  decide  favor- 
ably, that  slie  had  thought  about  such  a  plan  bo- 
fore,  and  that  she  was  really  in  earnest  in  her  re- 
quest. Finally,  Madame  Sevier  said  that  she  saw 
no  objection  to  accepting  the  offer,  as  she  really 
enjoyed  taking  care  of  a  large  establishment,  but 
she  ftvas  not  prepared  to  accept  it  at  once,  and 
she  would -wait  a  few  days  to  reflect  upon  it.  It 


MR.    PIFKERTON  AS  A  LABORER.  157 

was  then  agreed  that  she  should  give  her  decision 
at  the  grand  reception  to  be  given  as  a  house- 
warming. 

This  part  of  my  plan  had  worked  admirably, 
and  I  felt  confident  of  my  eventual  success  in 
learning  all  about  the  affairs  of  the  Morito 
family.  The  method  by  which  Donna  Lucia  had 
obtained  ten  thousand  dollars  from  Mr.  Mather 
was  a  decided  confirmation  of  Senator  Muirhoad's 
suspicions;  though  there  was  nothing  in  the 
transaction  which  could  make  her  liable  to  pun- 
ishment by  law,  and  as  there  was  no  danger  that 
her  victim  would  ever  appear  against  her,  I  paid 
no  further  attention  to  this  episode. 

I  ordered  Madame  Sevier  to  accept  Donna 
Lucia's  offer  on  the  following  terms:  she  should 
have  full  authority  over  all  the  female  servants  in 
the  house;  she  should  have  charge  of  the  ordering 
of  all  articles  for  household  use;  she  should  be 
considered  in  the  same  light  as  a  guest,  so  far  as 
social  intercourse  went;  she  should  go  and  come 
as  she  chose,  without  regard  to  the  duties  of  the 

./age;  and  she  should  receive  no  salary.  This 
last  point  she  was  to  insist  upon,  as  necessary 
to  preserve  her  feeling  of  independence,  and 
•  liable  her  to  occupy  her  time  as  she  might  see 
fit. 

As  the  day  approached  for  the  Moritos'  recep- 
tion, all  Gloster's  best  society  were  filled  with 
pleasurable  excitement  and  anticipation,  as  tho 
preparations  were  known  to  be  far  more  magnifi- 
cent than  those  for  any  similar  entertainment 


158  MR.    PINKERTON  AS  A   LABORER. 

since  Gloster  was  settled.  As  Monsieur  Lesparra 
had  already  made  Don  Pedro's  acquaintance, 
and  had  received  an  invitation,  I  felt  sure  that 
I  should  be  thoroughly  informed  as  to  all  the 
occurrences  of  the  evening,  and  so  I  awaited  de 
velopments. 

The  employment  of  detectives  to  penetrate  into 
the  social  life  and  domestic  surroundings  of  any 
family  is  strongly  repugnant  to  my  sense  of  pro- 
priety, and  I  rarely  countenance  the  practice,  if  I 
can  possibly  attain  my  object  in  any  other  way. 
I  dislike  to  feel  that  I  am  trespassing  upon  the 
privacy  of  any  man's  home,  even  though  that 
man  may  be  a  criminal.  The  idea  of  introducing 
a  spy  into  a  household  is  opposed  to  the  spirit  of 
our  free  American  institutions,  violating,  as  it 
does,  the  unwritten  law  that  "a  man's  house  is 
his  castle ; "  hence,  I  never  resort  to  such  a  measure, 
except  in  extreme  cases.  I  saw,  however,  that 
there  was  no  other  means  of  protecting  the  inter- 
ests of  my  client,  Senator  Muirhead ;  he  was 
acting  disinterestedly  in  the  case,  to  save  his  con- 
stituents from  being  defrauded,  and  I  could  only 
prevent  the  threatened  swindle  by  learning  in 
advance  the  exact  plan  of  operation  proposed  by 
the  suspected  person. 

I  was  careful,  however,  to  employ  my  most 
discreet  and  cautious  agents,  in  order  that  I  should 
quickly  learn  whether  the  Senator's  suspicions 
were  based  on  fact ;  in  case  I  should  find  that  the 
suspected  parties  were  innocent,  I  was  determined 
to  withdraw  instantly.  They  would  not 


AN  UNFORTUNATE   PREDICAMENT.  159 

suffer  any  injustice,  for  my  employes  would  keep 
their  discoveries  secret  from  every  one  except  my- 
self, and  no  one  would  ever  know  that  they  had 
been  the  objects  of  suspicion. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Monsieur  Z*esparre,  having  a  retentive  memory,  becomes 
serviceable  to  Don  Pedro.  —  Diamond  Fields  and 
droll  Americans.  —  A  pompous  Judge  in  an  unfor- 
tunate Predicament.  —  The  grand  Reception  closes 
with  the  happy  Arrangement  that  the  gay  Senor 
and  SeHora  shall  dine  with  Mr.  Pinkerton's  Detec- 
tives on  the  next  evening. 


day  of  the  reception  was  unusually  pleas- 
ant, and  at  nightfall  the  full  moon  rose  to 
add  h'er  splendor  to  the  attractiveness  of  the 
evening.  The  Morito  mansion  was  ablaze  with 
wax  candles,  gaslight  being  considered  too  com- 
mon for  use  on  such  an  occasion.  From  the  street 
to  the  door  was  a  passageway  of  double  canvas, 
with  an  opening  at  the  sidewalk  to  prevent  inter- 
ference with  passers.  This  opening  was  brilliantly 
lighted,  and  was  hung  with  flags,  pennants,  and 
flowers,  artistically  arranged  so  as  to  give  the 
guests  a  charming  prospect  when  alighting  from 
their  carriages.  The  rooms  of  the  house  needed 
no  decoration  beyond  that  already  given  by  the 
frescoes  and  paintings  adorning  the  walls  and 
n-ilings.  Nevertheless,  flowers  wore  abundantly 


100  AN  UNFORTUNATE  PREDICAMENT. 

distributed  about  the  spacious  apartments.  The 
beautiful  conservatory  contained  a  superb  foun- 
tain, whose  jets  and  sprays  gare  forth  exquisite 
odor  and  rippling  music.  Everywhere  through- 
out the  house  the  most  artistic  grouping  of 
furniture,  pictures,  and  statuary  could  be  seen, 
and  the  variety  of  taste  displayed  was  only 
equaled  by  the  unity  of  arrangements  as  a 
whole.  At  ten  o'clock  the  guests  began  to  arrive, 
and  as  the  throng  of  carriages  became  thicker, 
it  seemed  as  if  the  house  wou)d  be  over-crowded. 
This  did  not  happen  to  any  noticeable  degree, 
however,  as  the  whole  of  two  floors  were  thrown 
open  to  accommodate  the  guests.  The  music 
was  furnished  by  the  best  musicians  of  the  city, 
and  the  supper  was  a  miracle  of  epicurean  excel- 
lence, Delmonico  having  sent  one  of  his  chief 
assistants  from  New  York  to  superintend  its 
preparation.  Never  had  Gloster  seen  an' affair 
where  such  elegance  and  good  taste  had  been 
displayed;  even  the  smallest  details  were  perfect, 
and  the  Don  and  Donna  received  innumerable 
congratulations  and  good  wishes  from  their 
guests. 

During  his  brief  stay  in  Gloster,  Monsieur  Le- 
sparre  had  been  very  active  in  forming  acquaint- 
ances, and  he  was  already  well  known  in  society, 
lie  had  a  very  retentive  memory,  and,  when  once 
introduced  to  any  gentleman,  he  immediately 
t  ok  pains  to  learn  everything  possible  about  him. 
By  careful  observation  and  perseverance,  he  had 
learned  the  general  history  of  a  very  large  num- 


AN  UNFORTUNATE  PREDICAMENT.  161 

ber  of  the  leading  people  in  society,  and  his  droll 
comments  and  half -sarcastic  criticism  of  them, 
expressed  sotto  voce  to  the  Don  on  various  occa- 
sions, had  caught  the  latter's  attention.  The 
Don  therefore  frequently  singled  out  Lesparre  for 
a  companion  in  society,  in  order  to  obtain  infor- 
mation about  the  social  and  business  standing  of 
various  people.  • 

"  You  see,  my  dear  Lesparre,"  said  the  Don, 
"  I  am  such  a  poor  judge  of  character  that  I  am 
liable  to  be  imposed  upon  unless  I  know  some- 
thing about  the  previous  history  of  people  who 
seek  my  friendship.  And,  as  I  have  a  miserable 
memory  for  faces,  names,  places,  and  everything 
else,  it  is  a  great  pleasure  to  find  some  one  who 
can  keep  me  posted  as  to  the  status  of  the  people 
I  meet.  You  must  let  me  see  as  much  of  you  as 
possible,  for,  being  both  foreigners,  we  ought  to 
have  a  common  bond  of  sympathy." 

"It  will  give  me  great  pleasure,"  replied  Le- 
sparre. "  Of  course  our  friends  here  are  very  at- 
tentive; but  then,  you  know,  they  lack  the  polish 
one  meets  in  European  salons,  and  they  are  too 
apt  to  obtrude  their  business  into  their  social 
relations." 

"  Exactly;  I  agree  with  you  perfectly,  and  it  is 
for  that  reason  that  I  enjoy  a  conversation  with 
a  gentleman  of  Continental  education  and  tastes. 
It  is  wonderful  how  keen  these  Americans  are  in 
their  pursuit  of  the  'Almighty  Dollar.'  Why, 
only  a  week  ofr  two  ago,  I  happened  to  mention 
to  Mr.  Mather  and  a  few  others,  that  some  of  my 


162  AN  UNFORTUNATE  PREDICAMENT. 

estates  in  the  Peruvian  Andes  contained  extensive 
diamond  fields,  when  they  began  to  upbraid  me 
for  not  working  them  and  adding  to  my  already 
ample  revenue.  They  seemed  positively  shocked 
when  I  told  them,  that  I  saw  no  reason  for  in- 
creasing my  income,  as  I  had  as  much  money  as 
I  could  use  now.  They  insisted  that  I  was  doing 
a  positive  wrong  to  my  fellow  mortals  in  refusing 
to  burden  myself  with  a  new  enterprise,  and  I 
assure  you  they  were  quite  in  earnest  in  their  re- 
monstrances. Ah!  how  droll  they  are,  Monsieur 
Lesparre! " 

"Yes,  indeed,  I  have  found  the  same  spirit 
even  with  reference  to  my  humble  means,"  re- 
plied Lesparre.  "They  want  me  to  invest  in 
something  right  away,  and  I  have  very  many 
disinterested  offers  of  advice;  but  they  cannot 
understand  my  delay,  and  they  think  I  am  throw- 
ing away  so  many  good  chances  by  waiting. 
Now,  I  should  be  content  to  settle  down  for  a 
year,  before  investing,  just  to  examine  at  length 
all  the  openings  offered  me;  but  I  doubt  whether 
I  could  afford  to  do  that,  unless  I  could  obtain  a 
satisfactory  salaried  position,  and  I  feel  that  that 
is  impossible.  There  are  very  few  such  positions 
as  I  would  be  willing  to  accept,  as  I  do  not  care 
to  be  tied  down  to  regular  duties." 

The  gentlemen  had  stepped  into  the  supper- 
room  while  this  conversation  was  going  on,  and 
were  about  to  take  a  glass  of  wine  together. 
Lesparre's  last  remark  seemed  to  give  a  sudden 
idea  to  Don  Pedro,  and  he  sipped  his  wine  in 


AN  UNFORTUNATE  PREDICAMENT  163 

silence  for  a  moment  or  two.  Then  he  said, 
inquiringly: 

"I  suppose  you  would  like  a  position  of  a  re- 
sptmsible  character,  where  your  knowledge  of 
commercial  and  financial  affairs  would  be  avail- 
able, but  where  your  whole  time  would  not  be 
absorbed?" 

4k  i~es,  that  was  my  wish/'  answered  Lesparre; 
"but,  of  course,  I  do  not  expect  to  realize  my 
hopes." 

"  Possibly  you  may,  Monsieur  Lesparre,"  said 
Don  Pedro;  "but  let  us  leave  the  subject  of  busi- 
s  until  to-morrow,  when  I  should  like  to  talk 
with  you  more  fully  about  this  matter.  Now,  let 
us  return  to  the  drawing-room,  and  when  you  see 
;my  of  my  guests  approaching,  please,  tell  me 
briefly  who  and  what  they  are.  For  instance, 
tell  me  about  that  stiff  and  military-looking  per- 
son crossing  the  room." 

"That  is  Captain  Adrian  L.  Kerr,  a  retired 
army  officer,  who  has  lived  here  a  long  time.  He 
has  been  unsuccessful  in  business,  and  it  would 
1 )!  -  difficult  to  account  for  his  means  of  livelihood 
were  it  not  that  his  wife,  the  brilliant  brunette 
near  the  mantel-piece,  is  supposed  to  have  an  in- 
come of  her  own.  Some  people  are  so  ill-natured 
a  is  to  suggest  that  Alexander  Mclntyre,  the 
wealthy  Scotch  banker  now  talking  to  her,  is  the 
source  of  her  revenue,  but  that  may  be  pure  gOM- 
sip.  At  any  rate,  she  is  always  elegantly  dressed, 
and  she  moves  in  the  best  society." 

"If  people  suspect  her  of  improper  intimacy 


164  AN  UNFORTUNATE  PREDICAMENT. 

with  Mclntyre,  why  do  they  admit  her  to  then 
houses  ? "  asked  Don  Pedro. 

"Well,  you  see,  many  of  the  merchants  and 
business  men  have  financial  dealings  with  Mcln- 
tyre, and  they  do  not  dare  to  offend  him.  As  art 
illustration  of  his  power,  I  will  relate  an  incident 
that  occurred  recently.  The  wife  of  a  well-known 
merchant  was  about  to  give  a  large  party,  and, 
in  making  out  her  list  of  invitations,  she  pur- 
posely left  out  the  name  of  Mrs.  Kerr.  Her  hus- 
band, on  going  to  the  bank  to  obtain  the  renewal 
of  a  note,  found  Mclntyre  as  surly  and  sava 
a  bear,  and  the  renewal  was  refused.  As  he  had 
never  before  had  any  difficulty  in  obtaining  such 
an  accommodation  when  hard  pressed  for  money, 
he  could  jiot  account  for  the  change  in  Mclntyre's 
conduct ;  but  when  his  wife  informed  him  of  her 
action  the  day  previous  in  withholding  an  invita- 
tion from  Mrs.  Kerr,  he  understood  it  all.  His 
affairs  were  in  such  a  condition  that  he  could  not 
afford  to  quarrel  with  Mclntyre,  and  so  he  in- 
sisted that  an  invitation  be  sent  to  Mrs.  Kerr,  in 
spite  of  his  wife's  assertion  that  Mrs.  Kerr  was 
an  improper  character.  He  was  willing  to  admit 
that  fact,  but  he  preferred  to  submit  to  her  pres- 
ence rather  than  to  be  seriously  crippled  in 
business.  An  invitation  was  therefore  sent  in 
such  a  way  as  to  make  the  delay  in  its  delivery 
appear  accidental,  and  in  a  few  days  Mr.  Mcln- 
tyre  was  willing  to  renew  the  merchant's  note." 

"  Well,  she  certainly  does  carry  things  with  a 
high  hand,"  replied  Don   Pedro,   smiling.      "1 


AN  UNFORTUNATE   PREDICAMENT.  1C5 

wt  ruler  how  she  would  have  retaliated  upon  me 
if  I  had  struck  her  name  off  my  list  to -night  ? 
However,  it  is  not  my  business  to  question  her 
character,  and  if  my  wife  is  satisfied  to  receive 
her,  I  shall  not  interfere." 

As  the  Don  finished  speaking,  the  music 
sounded  the  preliminary  notes  of  a  quadrille, 
and  he  hastened  to  find  a  partner.  Among  the 
guests  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arlington,  whose 
minds  were  of  such  opposite  characters  as  to 
keep  them  continually  quarreling.  He  was  a 
wealthy  banker  of  austere  manners  and  Puri- 
tanic tastes,  while  she  was  a  butterfly  of  fashion, 
fit  only  to  be  petted,  kissed,  and  caressed.  She 
was  all  gayety  and  life ;  he,  all  piety  and  gloom. 
Her  pleasures  he  considered  sinful,  while  his 
recreations  were  to  her  the  most  painfully  mel- 
ancholy observances  that  could  be  devised. 
While  he  believed  that  she  was  a  child  of  wrath, 
a  creature  of  the  world,  the  flesh,  and  the  devil, 
she  was  equally  satisfied  that  he  was  on  the 
highway  to  fanaticism  and  hypocrisy.  Under 
these  circumstances,  it  was  not  unnatural  that 
she  should  seek  her  friends  among  those  who 
mingled  in  fashionable  society,  nor  that  her  hus- 
'>und  should  consider  it  necessary  to  follow  her 
into  the  gay  world  in  order  to  keep  a  watch 
upon  her.  Her  most  attentive  cavalier  was  a 
young  bachelor  named  Harry  Bertram,  who 
seemed  infatuated  with  her.  Indeed,  thoir  pivf- 
etvnce  for  each  other's  society  was  so  marked 
that  the  tongue  of  scandal  had  already  begun  to 


166  AN  UNFORTUNATE   PREDICAMENT. 

wag,  although  no  overt  act  could  bo  cited  against 
them.  The  Don,  on  leaving  Lesparre,  chanced 
to  meet  Mrs.  Arlington,  and  she  readily  accorded 
him  the  pleasure  of  dancing  with  her.  In  the 
same  set  were  Daniel  McCarthy  and  Donna  Lu- 
cia, Charles  Sylvanus  and  Madame  Sevier,  and 
Mr.  Mather  and  Mrs.  Simon.  In  the  adjoining 
set  were  Mr.  Benson  and  MI-SS  Jennie  Humphrey, 
Alexander  Mclntyre  and  Mrs.  Kerr,  Harry  Ber 
tram  and  Mrs.  Sanders,  and  Judge  Robert  Mor- 
gan and  Mrs.  Middleton. 

Judge  Morgan  was  a  remarkable- looking  per- 
son at  any  time,  but  his  appearance  was  especially 
noticeable  in  a  dancing-set,  the  incongruity  of 
his  presence  in  such  a  scene  being  irresistibly 
comical.  He  was  about  fifty  years  of  age,  but 
his  face  was  smooth  and  unwrinkled  ;  though  ho 
was  of  the  medium  height,  his  great  size  gave 
him  the  look  of  a  short  man,  which  effect  was 
partly  increased  by  his  long  arms.  He  was  very 
broad  and  fat,  his  stomach  projecting  to  an  ab- 
surd degree.  At  the  same  time  he  stood  very 
erect,  so  that  a  profile  view  gave  him  a  general 
resemblance  to  a  loggerhead  turtle  set  on  end. 
His  eyes  were  small  and  treacherous,  his  cheeks 
were  puffy  and  flabby,  his  mouth  was  large  and 
sensual.  His  hair  and  whiskers  were  brown  and 
fine,  but  they  always  seemed  unkempt.  He  ^  ore 
closely-fitting  black  clothes,  and  he  was  fond  of 
displaying  an  unusual  amount  of  jewelry.  He 
had  obtained  the  office  of  judge  of  the  criminal 
court  by  currying  favor  with  the  very  classea 


AN  UNFORTUNATE  PREDICAMENT.  167 

most  likely  to  be  brought  before  him  for  trial, 
and  his  judicial  ermine  was  not  considered  fivo 
from  the  foulest  stains.  His  private  life  was.  in 
many  respects,  a  counterpart  of  his  official  con- 
duct ;  though  married  to  an  agreeable  woman, 
he  was  a  notorious  libertine  and  profligate.  Still, 
he  held  his  position  in  society,  and  was  admitted 
to  the  acquaintance  of  the  most  reputable  people 
in  the  city ;  hence,  he  frequently  appeared  at 
balls  and  dancing-parties,  where  he  always  tried 
to  act  like  a  light  and  graceful  youth. 

On  this  occasion  he  was  especially  anxious  to 
display  his  manly  form  in  the  same  set  with  the 
Donna,  but  being  disappointed  in  this,  he  chose 
the  set  next  to  hers,  and  acted  like  a  playful  hip- 
popotamus. While  backing  rapidly,  in*  an  at- 
tempt to  balance  to  his  partner,  he  came  in  con- 
tact with  Mrs.  Simon  of  the  next  set,  and,  trip- 
ping on  her  dress,  he  fell  violently  upon  her. 
Her  partner,  Mr.  Mather,  tried  to  catch  her  as 
she  also  fell,  but  the  ponderous  form  of  tho 
Judge  came  upon  them  both  with  crushing  effect, 
and  all  three  were  brought  to  the  floor  at  once. 
Mr.  Mather  and  Mrs.  Simon  were  quickly  on 
their  feet  again,  flushed  with  mortification  but 
unhurt.  But  it  was  no  such  easy  matter  for  the 
corpulent  Judge  to  raise  himself  erect;  he  lay  on 
his  back  a  moment  groaning,  and  it  was  thought 
that  he  might  be  seriously  injured,  as  his  fall  had 
jarred  the  whole  house.  Several  gentlemen  care- 
fully lifted  him  upright,  and  the  ladies  gathered 
about  to  condole  with  him,  when  it  was  suddenlv 


168  AN  UNFORTUNATE   PREDICAMENT. 

discovered  that,  if  the  Judge's  person  had  not 
suffered,  his  clothing  had.  His  tight  dress  coat 
was  split  several  inches  down  the  back,  while  a 
hasty  glimpse  behind  his  coat-tails  satisfied  the 
spectators  that  his  pants  were  in  an  even  worse 
condition  than  his  coat.  It  may  be  imagined 
that  the  situation  caused  some  merriment,  in 
spite  of  the  efforts  of  the  more  well-bred  guests 
to  preserve  their  gravity;  but  when  the  Judge, 
having  regained  his  feet,  vociferated  in  great 
wrath:  "You  are  a  pack  of  monkeys.  I  don't 
see  anything  to  laugh  at,"  there  was  a  universal 
burst  of  laughter  which  could  not  be  repressed. 
This  so  enraged  him  that  it  was  difficult  to  make 
him  understand  his  absurd  position,  but  at  length 
Don  Pedro  and  Monsieur  Lesparre  induced  him 
to  go  to  the  dressing-room  for  repairs.  As  there 
was  no  coat  in  the  house  large  enough  for  him, 
the  Don  was  at  his  wits'  end  to  make  him  suffi- 
ciently presentable  to  enable  him  to  return  to  the 
drawing-room;  but  at  length  the  Judge  was 
arrayed  in  one  of  the  Don's  gorgeous  dressing- 
gowns,  which  was  large  enough  to  hide  most  of 
the  effects  of  the  fall.  He  soon  returned  to  the 
lower  rooms  dressed  in  the  most  remarkable  cos- 
tume ever  worn  at  a  full-dress  party  in  Gloster. 

With  the  exception  of  this  accident,  the  even- 
ing passed  off  with  the  most  perfect  success, 
and  the  unanimous  verdict  was  that  there  had 
never  been  a  more  thoroughly  enjoyable  enter- 
tainment given  in  the  city.  During  the  evening, 
Madame  Sevier  informed  Donna  Lucia  of  hei 


AN  UNFORTUNATE  PREDICAMENT.  169 

willingness  to  take  charge  of  the  Morito  establish- 
ment, and  agreed  to  begin  her  reign  the  next 
day  Donna  Lucia  was  delighted  at  this  news, 
and  willingly  accepted  all  the  conditions,  though 
she  insisted  for  some  time  on  giving  Madame 
Sevier  a  liberal  salary.  Finding  that  Madame 
Sevier  was  resolute  in  her  refusal  to  receive  pay, 
the  Donna  informed  her  friends  that  she  had  in- 
vited Madame  Sevier  to  live  Avith  her,  and  that 
the  Madame  had  kindly  agreed  to  assist  her  in 
entertaining  her  numerous  guests. 

It  was  not  until  nearly  daybreak  that  the  more 
indefatigable  revelers  became  weary  of  dancing 
and  flirting,  so  that  the  Donna  was  quite  ex- 
hausted when  the  last  guest  had  departed. 
Madame  Sevier  remained  to  the  end,  as  she  in- 
tended occupying  her  room  in  the  Morito  man- 
sion at  once,  instead  of  returning  to  her  boarding- 
place.  Donna  Lucia  left  orders  that  she  was  not 
to  be  disturbed  until  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
but  Madame  Sevier  decided  to  get  up  at  twelve 
o'clock,  in  order  to  superintend  the  work  of  clear- 
ing away  the  decorations  and  debris  of  the  ball. 
The  Don  had  invited  Monsieur  Lesparre  to  dine 
with  him  at  six  o'clock,  and  so  it  was  arranged 
that  they  should  all  meet  at  that  hour. 

8 


170  A  STARTLING  SCHEME. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Madame  Sevier  and  Her  Work. —  Unaccountable  Co 
quettishness  between  Man  and  Wife. — A  Start  !!.ny 
Scheme,  illustrating  the  Rashness  and  Guttililiti/  (>J 
American  Business  Men  and  the  Sitpr<  ,.•><•,  A«.<"r- 
ance  of  Don  •  Pedro. — Disaster  approaching  the 
Gloster  Capitalists. —  Other  Suspicions  Arouwd. — 
Tlie  Story  of  Mr.  Warne,  English  Diplomatic 
Agent. — A  New  Move. 

MADAME  SEVIEJR  began  her  work  of  re- 
form in  the  household  as  soon  as  she  was 
dressed  that  afternoon.  Finding  that  they  now 
had  a  mistress  competent  to  control  them,  the 
servants  showed  a  greater  willingness  to  be  use- 
ful, though  some  of  them  were  inclined  to  be 
lazy  and  impudent  as  before.  The  Madame  made 
mental  notes  of  everything,  toojv.  charge  of  the 
keys  to  all  storerooms  and  closets,  and  clearly 
demonstrated  that  she  was  able  to  manage  the 
house  according  to  her  own  ideas.  The  cook, 
thinking  she  was  indispensable,  and  that  she 
could  act  independent  of  control,  was  very  im- 
pertinent to  Madame,  and  she  evinced  an  insub- 
ordinate spirit  that  created  a  good  deal  of  trouble. 
Seeing  that  prompt  and  severe  measures  were 
necessary,  Madame  Sevier  paid  this  woman  her 
wages  and  discharged  her  without  a  moment's 
warning.  The  effect  upon  the  other  servants 
was  most  satisfactory,  and  although  the  Madame 
was  obliged  to  make  some  minor  changes  after- 


A  STARTLING   SCHEME.  171 

ward,  she  was  never  again  annoyed  by  imperti- 
nence or  presumption.  The  dinner  for  that  day 
was  prepared  by  the  assistant  cook,  under 
Madame  Sevier's  direction,  and  when  the  Don 
and  Donna  came  down  from  their  chamber,  they 
were  delighted  to  find  that  the  house  was  hi  per- 
fect order,  showing  no  signs  of  having  been  the 
scene  of  revelry  and  dissipation  the  night  before. 

During  dinner,  at  which  Monsieur  Lesparre 
was  the  only  guest,  Don  Pedro,  after  compli- 
menting Madame  Sevier  very  highly  upon  her 
success  in  bringing  order  out  of  chaos,  turned  t  o 
his  wife  and  said: 

"  Lucia,  your  selection  of  a  companion  and  ad- 
visor has  been  so  fortunate  that  I  am  more  than 
ever  disposed  to  follow  your  example.  What  do 
you  think,  Monsieur  Lesparre,  cannot  you  serve 
me  as  confidential  secretary  and  financial  agent 
as  satisfactorily  as  Madame  Sevier  assists  my 
wife?" 

"Indeed,  Don  Pedro,"  replied  Lesparre,  gal- 
lantly, "if  you  impose  upon  me  the  task  of 
equalling  so  accomplished  and  charming  a  lady 
as  Madame  Sevier,  you  will  probably  be  disap- 
pointed in  everything  I  do." 

"Bravo,  bravo,  Monsieur  Lesparre!"  cried  the 
Donna;  "you  will  certainly  be  successful  in  pay- 
ing delicate  compliments,  at  least.  Yes,  Pedro, 
I  think  you  ought  to  secure  Monsieur  Lesparre's 
services  at  once;  when  you  have  nothing  for  him 
to  do,  he  will  be  an  agreeable  companion  for  us. 
What  say  you,  Madame  Sevier? " 


172  A   STARTLE  ME. 

"  I  quite  agfee  with  you,"  replied  the  Madame, 
casting  down  her  eyes  coquettishly;  "but  I 
prophesy  that  Monsieur  Lesparre  would  find  his 
position  an  onerous  one  if  he  should  be  under 
obligations  to  pay  me  compliments." 

"Ah!  the  obligation  would  be  unnecessary," 
said  Lesparre;  "  the  difficulty  would  be  to  avoid 
doing  so  constantly." 

The  Don  and  Donna  smiled  at  each  other  sig- 
nificantly, thinking  that  they  saw  the  incipient, 
signs  of  a  mutual  attachment  between  these  two, 
and  that  it  was  not  unreasonable  to  imagine  that 
a  wedding  might  result  therefrom.  How  little 
they  imagined  that  these  apparently  distant  ac- 
quaintances were,  in  fact,  already  man  and  wife! 

After  dinner,  the  Don  and  Lesparre  repaired  to 
the  billiard-room  to  smoke,  while  the  ladies  en- 
tered the  drawing-room  to  receive  visitors. 

"Monsieur  Lesparre,"  said  the  Don,  as  they 
lounged  "back  in  luxuriant  easy-chairs,  "what  do 
you  think  of  my  suggestion  at  dinner?  I  should 
really  like  to  obtain  your  services  as  private  sec- 
retary, and  I  will  gladly  give  you  such  a  salary  as 
•will  make  you  independent  of  other  labor.  While 
you  are  attending  to  my  affairs  you  will  naturally 
become  well  acquainted  with  many  business  men, 
n:id  \vill  be  able  to  investigate  a  number  of  enter- 
prises, so  that  you  will  be  better  able  a  year 
henro  to  invest  your  capital  to  advantage." 

"Your  offer  is  truly  liberal,"  replied  Lesparre, 
puffing  his  cigar  thoughtfully,  "and  I  fee]  dis- 
posed to  accept  it.  What  would  be  my  duties  ? '' 


A  STARTLING   SCHEME.  173 

''  Well,  I  will  explain  what  I  wish  fully,  and 
then  you  can  judge  how  the  position  would  suit, 
you,"  answered  Don  Pedro.  "  In  the  first  place, 
I  wish  a  financial  agent,  a  man  whom  I  can 
trust,  who  will  attend  to  all  my  affairs.  You  & 
I  detest  the  details  of  business.  I  desire  to  live 
free  from  the  vexing  annoyances  consequent 
upon  the  providing  and  disbursing  of  money. 
My  estates  produce  as  much  as  I  can  use,  and  I 
do  not  trouble  myself  to  inquire  whether  they 
might  not  yield  more.  I  am  accustomed  to  buy 
whatever  I  wish,  but  I  hate  to  bother  my  head  to 
know  whether  I  have  enough  on  hand  to  pay  for 
my  purchases;  hence  I  want  my  secretary  to  at- 
tend to  such  matters  for  me.  There  is  another 
thing  in  which  you  could  be  of  the  greatest  ser- 
vice to  me;  for,  while  it  is  an  affair  of  great  im- 
portance, involving  large  interests,  I  am  posi- 
tively too  fond  of  my  own  ease  to  give  it  the- 
attention  which  it  deserves.  I  know  I  can  trust 
you  not  to  repeat  the  slightest  portion  of  what  I 
am  about  to  tell  you,  for  it  is  not  desirable  that 
it  should  be  talked  about,  unless  the  enterprise 
is  successfully  carried  out." 

"  Indeed,  you  can  rest  assured  that  I  shall 
never  mention  a  hint  of  it  to  any  one,"  replied 
Lesparre. 

"  Well,  you  recollect  I  told  you  last  night  that 
Mather,  Perkins,  and  some  others  were  anxious 
to  have  me  explore  and  open  up  the  diamond 
fields  which,  I  have  reason  to  believe,  constitute 
a  large  part  of  ono  of  my  estates  in  Peru  ?  Some 


174  A   STARTLING  SCHEME. 

time  after  I  spoke  to  you,  toward  the  end  of  the 
party,  I  missed  Mather,  Perkins,  Mclntyre,  San- 
ders, and  several  others  from  the  rooms,  and 
while  I  was  wondering  what  had  become  of 
them,  Mather  came  up  and  asked  me  to  go  up  to 
my  dressing-room,  which,  you  recollect,  adjoined 
the  room  used  for  the  gentlemen's  dressing  room 
last  night.  On  arriving  there,  I  found  about  a 
dozen  of  the  wealthiest  men  of  Gloster  sitting 
around  the  room,  with  Dan  McCarthy  at  the 
table  acting  as  secretary.  Will  you  believe  it1 
They  had  actually  formed  a  business  meeting  in 
my  own  house,  and  had  made  speeches,  passed 
resolutions,  and  voted  upon  two  propositions, 
which  they  wished  to  submit  to  me;  they  had 
then  sent  the  chairman,  Mr.  Mather,  to  bring  me 
in,  and  I  was  expected  to  stand  and  deliver  my 
decision  at  a  moment's  notice.  The  idea  was 
perfectly  ludicrous  to  me,  yet  it  did  not  strike 
any  of  them  that  they  were  doing  anything 
unusual.  I  believe  that  if  a  party  of  these  Glos- 
ter business  men  were  to  be  landed  suddenly  in 
hell,  they  would  organize  a  stock  exchange  to 
deal  in  brimstone  and  ashes  !  " 

"They  certainly  carry  their  business  instincts 
everywhere,"  said  Lesparre,  laughing  heartily. 
"I  suppose  they  had  fully  arranged  everything 
before  you  were  sent  for  ? " 

"  Yes,  indeed  ;  the  very  minor  details  were  pro- 
vided for,  and  I  could  not  raise  an  objection 
which  had  not  already  been  discussed  and  re- 
moved. Both  propositions  provided  for  the  for- 


A  STARTLING  SCHEME.  178 

mation  of  a  stock  company  for  the  mining,  cutting, 
and  sale  of  diamonds.  According  to  the  first 
plan,  I  was  to  fix  a  price  upon  my  diamond  fields, 
which  the  company  would  then  purchase,  pay 
ing  me  three-fourths  in  cash,  and  one-fourth  in 
stock.  In  case,  however,  that  I  should  be  un- 
willing to  part  with  my  controlling  interest,  the 
second  plan  provided  that  I  should  receive  one- 
fourth  the  estimated  value  of  the  land  in  money, 
giving  to  the  company  therefor  the  privilege  of 
mining  for  a  certain  length  of  time,  and  receiving 
also  one-half  of  the  value  of  the  diamonds  found. 
The  idea  of  disposing  of  this  property  had  never 
before  occurred  to  me,  and  naturally  I  was  not 
prepared  to  give  any  answer  on  such  short  notice; 
but  if  I  had  done  so  then,  I  should  have  positively 
rejected  both  propositions.  In  fact,  I  said  as 
much  to  Mather,  and  he  then  suggested  to  the 
meeting  that  'Senor  Morito  be  given  a  week 
to  decide  upon  the  propositions  submitted  to 
him.'  The  cool  impudence  of  thus  graciously 
giving  me  a  week  did  not  seem  to  strike  them,, 
and  the  meeting  broke  up  with  great  satisfaction, 
every  man  feeling  certain  that  I  must  accept 
one  proposition  or  the  other.  It  was  further 
decided  to  appoint  a  committee  to  draw  up  a 
charter* and  by-laws,  'so  as  to  save  time,'  as  one 
gentleman  remarked.  After  the  gentlemen  had 
left  the  room,  Mather  urged  the  matter  upon 
me  very  strongly.  He  apologized  for  having 
acted  with  such  precipitation,  but,  he  said,  the 
others  were  so  eager,  as  soon  as  they  heard  that 


176  A  STARTLING  SCHEME. 

I  owned  a  vast  tract  of  unworkcd  diamond  fields, 
that  he  could  not  restrain  them.  He  begged  mo 
to  make  some  arrangement  with  the  proposed 
company,  as  the  men  who  had  become  interested 
in  it  were  wealthy  and  enterprising,  and  they 
would  surely  push  it  to  a  profitable  conclusion. 
In  answer  to  my  remark  that  I  was  rich  enough 
already,  he  said  that  I  ought  to  give  others  a 
chance  to  make  some  money  who  needed  it,  per- 
haps, more  than  I.  Finally,  as  he  urged  it  as  a 
personal  favor  to  himself,  I  agreed  to  give  the 
most  favorable  answer  that  I  could,  and  so  the 
matter  stands." 

"When  are  you  to  give  your  answer?"  asked 
Lesparre. 

"The  committee  adjourned  until  a  week  from 
last  night,"  replied  the  Don,  "and  I  shall  then 
again  be  summoned  before  them,  I  presume. 
Now,  although  the  first  proposition  would  not 
probably  pay  me  so  well  in  the  end  as  the  second, 
I  much  prefer  it.  You  see  I  do  not  wish  to  keep 
a  controlling  interest  because  I  should  have  the 
continual  annoyance  of  supervising  the  business; 
and,  as  I  have  said  before,  I  wish  to  be  perfectly 
free  from  cares  and  responsibilities.  My  object 
is  to  enjoy  life,  and  I  can't  be  happy  if  I  am 
obliged  to  work.  Nevertheless,  I  do  not  wish  to 
turn  over  this  property  to  a  body  of  men  who 
will  squeeze  it  like  a  sponge,  leaving  it  a  mero 
waste.  There  are  a  large  body  of  tenants  occu- 
pying portions  of  it,  whose  rights  must  be 
respected.  They  will  make  willing  and  honest 


A  STARTLING  SCHEME.  17T 

laborers  if  properly  treated,  and  I  wish  to  protect 
them  as  far  as  possible  from  cruelty  and  extor- 
ticn.  Hence,  I  desire  to  learn  all  I  can  about  the 
men  who  will  create  and  manage  the  company 
before  I  agree  to  put  the  property  into  their 
hands,  no  matter  what  price  they  may  be  willing 
to  pay  for  it;  it  is  here,  my  dear  Lesparre,  that 
you  can  be  of  great  service  to  me.  You  are  well 
acquainted  among  all  classes  of  business  men  in 
Gloster,  and  you  can  readily  learn  all  about  the 
people  who  purpose  buying  stock.  This  will 
be  considered  very  natural  and  proper  if  you 
become  my  private  secretary,  and  your  duties 
will  not  be  severe.  What  do  you  say  ? " 

"I  think  I  can  do  what  you  wish,"  said  Le- 
sparre,  "  but  I  should  like  a  day  for  reflection.  I 
never  like  to  act  hastily  in  an  important  matter, 
even  where  my  mind  is  already  made  up." 

"  You  are  quite  right,"  said  the  Don  ;  "  but  I 
hope  your  mind  will  remain  unchanged  in  regard 
to  this  matter.  I  will  give  you  whatever  salary 
you  wish,  and  shall  expect  you,  of  course,  to  live 
here  on  equal  terms  with  myself  and  wife.  Now, 
let  us  join  the  ladies." 

On  receiving  Lesparre's  report,  I  saw  the  whole 
scheme  at  a  glance,  and  I  was  now  convinced 
that  Senator  Muirhead's  suspicions  with  regard 
to  Don  Pedro  were  correct.  I  immediately  vis- 
ited the  Senator,  and  laid  the  latest  developments 
before  him.  We  could  not  help  admiring  the  con- 
summate knowledge  of  human  nature  which  the 
Don  displayed;  lie  had  hailed  his  hook  so  skill 
8* 


ITS  A  STARTLING  SCHEMA. 

fully  that  the  gudgeons  were  actually  fearful  lest 
something  should  prevent  them  from  swallowing 
it ;  but  there  seemed  to  be  no  probability  of  de- 
feating his  schemes  unless  we  could  obtain  posi- 
tive proofs  of  his  dishonesty  elsewhere,  or  detect 
him  in  some  criminal  offense  in  this  country. 
We  therefore  decided  to  keep  a  close  watch  upon 
all  his  movements,  and  await  further  develop- 
ments. It  was  evident  that  the  sufferers  by  Don 
Jose  Michel's  forgeries  in  California  would  not 
take  any  active  steps  against  him  unless  they 
were  sure  of  the  identity  of  the  man,  and  so  we 
had  no  ground  of  accusation  against  him  which 
we  could  rely  upon.  Both  Senator  Muirhead  and 
myself  were  indignant  at  the  audacity  displayed 
in  his  swindling  projects,  but  we  did  not  dare  to 
attempt  his  exposure  without  absolute  proof  of 
our  charges.  The  waiting  game  is  never  a  pleas- 
ant one  to  play,  but  I  could  not  do  otherwise 
under  the  circumstances. 

About  this  time  I  was  called  back  to  Chicago 
on  important  business,  but  I  immediately  sent 
my  superintendent,  Mr.  Bangs,  to  Gloster,  to 
take  charge  of  the  case  'there.  During  my  ab- 
sence little  of  note  occurred,  except  the  meeting 
to  hear  the  Don's  answer  to  the  propositions  to 
purchase  the  diamond  fields.  At  this  meeting 
the  Don  was  apparently  anxious  to  decline  all 
offers,  saying  that  the  property  had  been  in  the 
possession  of  his  family  for  about  two  hundred 
years,  and  that  he  considered  himself  in  honor 
bound  to  retain  an  interest  in  it.  Also,  he  tried 


A  STARTLING  SCHEME  179 

to  cool  the  ardor  of  the  would-be  purchasers  by 
telling  them  that  he  had  no  positive  certainty 
that  there  were  valuable  diamond  fields  on  the 
property,  though  such  was  probably  the  case. 
His  reluctance  to  sell  the  land  only  made  them 
more  determined  to  buy,  for  they  argued  that  he 
was  so  well  satisfied  with  it  as  a  means  of  reve- 
nue that  he  wished  to  retain  possession  of  it  all 
himself.  At  length  4*e  found  that  they  would 
give  him  no  peace  until  he  yielded,  and  so  ho 
graciously  agreed  to  accept  the  first  proposition. 
The  question  of  price  then  remained  to  be  dis- 
cussed, but,  on  this  point,  there  was  little  oppor- 
tunity for  disagreement.  Having  had  so  much 
difficulty  in  inducing  the-  Don  to  sell  at  all,  they 
were  not  disposed  to  endanger  the  sale  by  hag- 
gling about  the  price;  and  when  the  latter  was 
fixed  at  one  million  five  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars, they  made  no  demur,  although  the  sum 
rather  staggered  their  enthusiasm  at  first.  This 
effect  was  only  momentary,  however,  for  the 
vivid  anticipations  of  dividends  in  proportion  to 
this  price  quickly  banished  their  fears,  and  they 
hastened  to  subscribe  the  amounts  required. 
These  facts  were  all  reported  to  me  immediately 
after  my  return  to  Gloster,  which  occurred  a  day 
or  two  after  the  meeting,  and  I  saw  that  the  day 
of  disaster  to  the  trusting  capitalists  of  that  city 
was  fast  approaching. 

Neither  Monsieur  Lesparre  nor  Madame  F 
had  learned  much  about  the  private  a  flairs  of  the 
Moritos,  for,  whenrvfi    tin-  latter  ha«l  anything 


180  A  STARTLING  SCHEME. 

important  to  say  to  each  other,  they  usually 
spoke  Spanish.  The  Don's  remaining  funds 
amounted  to  only  about  eight  thousand  dollars, 
and  at  the  rate  with  which  he  had  hitherto  spent 
money,  this  sum  would  not  last  much  more  than 
five  or  six  weeks.  The  time  might  be  extended 
to  two  months  by  running  the  establishment  on 
credit ;  but  the  Don  was  averse  to  such  a  course, 
and  all  bills  were  paid  promptly  at  the  end  of 
each  month.  He  showed  no  uneasiness  as  his 
cash  began  to  run  low,  but  merely  said  that  if 
the  first  installment  on  the  mine  should  be  paid 
in  soon,  it  would  obviate  the  necessity  of  drawing 
upon  his  agents  in  Lima,  otherwise  he  should 
call  upon  them  for  fifty  thousand  dollars  to  carry 
him  through  the  year.  There  was  nothing  in  his 
manner  or  actions  to  excite  suspicion,  and  cer- 
tainly, if  he  intended  to  defraud  the  Diamond 
Company,  he  had  too  much  nerve  to  betray  him- 
self, even  to  so  close  an  observer  as  Monsieur 
Lesparre. 

Having  heard  the  reports,  I  strolled  out  in  the 
evening  for  a  walk  with  Mr.  Bangs,  and  while 
passing  one  of  the  leading  hotels,  I  met  a  very 
intimate  friend,  named  Judge  Key.  The  Judge 
was  an  old  resident  of  Gloster,  and  his  character 
was  highly  esteemed  by  all  who  knew  him.  Ho 
was  a  man  of  great  ability  and  force;  but,  pos- 
sessing little  ambition,  he  was  not  nearly  so  well 
known  as  many  of  those  who  were  his  inferiors 
in  point  of  intellect  and  morals.  We  had  a  great 
deal  of  business  between  us  at  one  time,  and  our 


A  STARTLING  SCHEME.  181 

relations  to  each  other  were  of  the  most  cordial 
character,  partaking  more  of  the  nature  of  per- 
sonal friendship  than  mere  business  acquaint- 
ance I  had  not  visited  him  previously  during 
my  stay  in  Gloster,  for  the  reason  that,  even  to 
my  intimate  friends,  I  never  make  my  presence 
known  when  engaged  in  an  operation,  if  I  can 
avoid  doing  so.  On  this  occasion,  the  Judge 
recognized  me  instantly,  and  greeted  me  with 
great  warmth,  at  the  same  time  adding  that  I 
was  just  the  man  above  'all  others  whom  he 
wished  to  see.  He  then  introduced  his  com- 
panion to  Mr.  Bangs  and  myself  as  Mr.  Edward 
Ashley  Warne,  of  London,  England. 

"  Now,  Mr.  Pinkerton,"  said  the  Judge,  "let  us 
step  into  the  club  close  by,  and  over  a  social  glass 
of  wine,  Mr.  Warne  will  tell  you  about  a  pecu- 
liar case  of  mistaken  identity,  or  of  consummate 
rascality — it  is  hard  to  know  which.  Possibly 
you  may  be  able  to  understand  some  things 
which  puzzle  us,  and  to  frustrate  a  fraudulent 
scheme,  if  our  suspicions  are  correct.  You  both 
know  each  other  by  reputation,  I  guess,  and  I 
presume,  Mr.  Warne,  that  you  will  not  object  to 
tell  Mr.  Pinkerton  what  you  have  told  me." 

"Oh!  yes,  I  have  often  heard  of  Mr.  Pinker- 
ton,"  said  Mr.  Warne,  "  and  I  think,  as  you  say, 
that  he  can  clear  up  the  mystery,  if  any  one  can. 
I  shall  be  pleased  to  tell  him  all  that  I  know  with 
regard  to  it." 

Mr.  Edward  Ashley  Warne  was  an  attache  of 
the  British  diplomatic  service,  and  having  been 


182  A    STARTLING  SCHEME. 

entrusted  with  the  settlement  of  some  questions 
relative  to  commerce  between  the  United  States 
and  Great  Britain,  he  had  executed  his  mission 
with  such  fairness,  good  sense,  and  courtesy  that 
he  was  regarded  with  great  kindness  and  respect 
by  our  people  as  well  as  by  his  own  government. 
He  was  on  a  rapid  tour  through  the  United 
States,  previous  to  his  return  to  London,  and  he 
had  spent  a  week  in  Gloster  with  Judge  Key  at 
the  time  when  we  met  in  front  of  the  hotel.  We 
were  soon  comfortably  seated  in  one  of  the  pri- 
vate dining-rooms  of  the  club,  and,  after  a  few 
sips  of  wine,  Mr.  Warne  began  his  story. 

"I  don't  know  whether  I  am  the  victim  of 
imagination,  or  the  gentlemen  of  Gloster  are 
likely  to  be  the  victims  of  an  impostor;  but  one 
thing  is  certain,  that  a  gentleman  here  known  as 
Don  Pedro  P.  L.  de  Morito  is  the  exact  image  of 
a  man  who  was  known  in  London  as  Don  Jose 
Arias." 

This  information  came  so  unawares  that  I  al- 
most betrayed  my  interest  in  the  case  by  utter- 
ing a  hasty  exclamation.  I  restrained  my  feel- 
ings, however,  and  asked  Mr.  Warne  to  tell  me 
all  he  knew  about  this  man. 

'"Well,  I  first  met  him  in  Paris,  when  I  was  a 
member  of  the  French  Legation,"  replied  Mr. 
Warne.  "  He  was  then  moving  in  the  most 
aristocratic  society,  and  his  wealth  was  reputed 
enormous.  I  saw  a  great  deal  of  him  at  times, 
and,  indeed,  I  was  better  acquainted  with  him 
than  I  was  with  many  of  my  countrymen  ;  but  I 


A  STARTLING  SCHEME.  183 

was  recalled  to  London  about  that  time,  and  I 
soon  forgot  all  about  Don  Jose  Arias." 

"Pardon  me,"  I  interrupted;  "was  the  Don 
married  ? " 

"Oh!  yes;  he  had  a  beautiful  wife,  I  have 
been  told,  but  I  never  happened  to  see  her.  I 
think  she  was  Spanish,  if  I  recollect  rightly. 
One  day,  after  my  return  to  England,  as  I  was 
entering  the  Foreign  Office,  I  met  Don  Jose  com- 
ing out,  and  he  seemed  delighted  to  see  me.  He 
said  that  he  had  come  to  spend  some  months  in 
London,  and  he  hoped  to  enjoy  my  society  fre- 
quently. I  was  then  engaged  in  studying  a  very 
difficult  diplomatic  question,  and  I  was  unable  to 
give  any  time  whatever  to  society ;  I  therefore 
expressed  my  regrets  that  I  should  be  obliged  to 
decline  all  invitations,  and,  after  some  further 
conversation,  we  separated.  I  often  heard  of 
him  in  connection  with  social  events  in  the  best 
circles,  and,  on  one  or  two  occasions,  I  met  him 
in  the  street ;  but  I  did  not  renew  our  former  de- 
gree of  intimacy,  for  the  simple  reason  that  I  did 
not  have  the  time  to  do  so.  Just  before  I  left 
London  on  the  mission  for  which  I  had  been  pre- 
paring myself,  I  was  astonished  to  learn  that 
Don  Jose  Arias  had  proved  to  be  a  scoundrel  of 
the  most  dangerous  character.  He  had  not 
hunted  small  ^ame,  it  is  true,  but  this  was  prob- 
ably a  part  of  his  whole  scheme.  So  far  as  I 
could  learn,  he  had  left  no  unpaid  bills  in  the 
hands  of  tradesmen,  but  he  had  taken  enoi: 
out  of  bankers  and  capitalists  to  ]>.iy  lii;;  trad 


184  A  STARTLING  SCHEME. 

men's  bills  for  half  a  century.  The  aggregate 
fraudulently  obtained  by  him  was  never  known, 
for  many  of  his  victims  refused  to  state  their 
loss  ;  but  it  was  surmised  that  he  obtained  as 
much  as  forty  or  fifty  thousand  pounds  sterling 
in  London  alone,  while  several  Paris  bankers  also 
suffered  heavily.  I  was  not  specially  interested 
in  the  affair,  and  it  had  wholly  passed  from  my 
mind,  when  suddenly,  while  walking  in  the 
streets  of  this  city  last  week,  I  came  upon  Don 
Jose  Arias  again.  He  wore  his  hair  differently 
from  his  old  way  in  London  and  Paris,  having 
now  full  side-whiskers,  whereas  then  he  wore 
only  moustache  and  goatee  ;  but  I  could  not  be 
mistaken,  and  I  said  to  Judge  Key  :  '  There  is  a 
man  who  forged  paper  to  an  immense  amount  in 
London  less  than  two  years  ago.'  '  Impossible  ! ' 
replied  the  Judge ;  '  he  is  a  very  wealthy  man, 
moving  in  the  best  society  in  the  city.'  The 
Judge  then  vouched  for  him  with  such  earnest- 
ness that  I  began  to  believe  that  I  was  mistaken; 
but  I  determined  to  meet  him  face  to  face,  to  see 
whether  there  could  be  two  persons  so  nearly  re- 
sembling each  other.  Unfortunately  he  had  an 
opportunity  to  see  me  before  I  saw  him  when  1 
next  met  him,  so  that  I  lost  the  chance  of  sur 
[(rising  him  into  betraying  himself.  He  ap 
peared  to  glance  at  me  casually,  as  any  stranger 
would  do,  and  then  went  on  with  his  conversation 
without  hesitation  or  embarrassment.  I  have 
met  him  several  times  since  then,  and  he  always 
acts  with  the  same  natural  ease  of  manner,  as  if 


A  STARTLING  SCHEME.  185 

we  had  always  been  perfect  strangers  to  each 
other ;  but,  Mr.  Pinkerton,  the  more  I  see  ot 
him,  the  more  fully  am  I  convinced  that  Don 
Jose  Arias,  of  London,  and  Don  Pedro  P.  L.  de 
Morito,  of  Gloster,  are  identical ;  and,  believing 
this,  I  consider  it  my  duty  to  tell  you  these  facts 
in  order  that  your  citizens  may  be  protected 
against  him,  if  possible." 

"  Well,  Mr.  Pinkerton,"  said  Judge  Key, 
"  what  do  you  think  of  this  affair?  Mr.  Warno 
does  not  admit  that  he  can  be  mistaken,  and 
there  are  some  corroboratory  evidences  that  he 
may  be  right;  yet,  it  seems  incredible.  It  is  a 
pity  that  Mr.  Warne  should  have  never  seen  Don 
Jose's  wife,  because  he  could  then  compare  her 
with  Senora  Morito,  and  if  they,  too,  were  exact 
resemblances,  there  would  be  no  longer  any  room 
for  doubt." 

"That  would  certainly  be  a  strong  proof,"  I 
remarked;  "but  I  think  it  is  unnecessary.  The 
suspicion  you  have  spoken  of,  Mr.  Wame,  has 
already  been  raised  by  another  gentleman  in  this 
city,  and  I  have  been  requested  to  discover 
whether  or  not  it  is  correct." 

"Why,  you  astonish  me!"  exclaimed  Judge 
Key,  "for  Mr.  Warne  has  not  mentioned  the 
subject  to  any  one  but  me,  and  I  have  never  even 
hinted  anything  about  it  except  to  you  gentle- 
men." 

"Nevertheless,  I  have  suspected  for  some  tinv> 
that  this  Don  Pedro  was  an  impostor,  and  have 
been  trying  to  obtain  positive  proof  of  my 


186  A  STARTLING  SCHEME. 

opinion,  in  order  to  save  many  persons  here  from 
being  swindled  by  him.  You  are  acquainted 
with  Senator  Muirhead,  Judge? " 

"Oh!  yes,  quite  well." 

fc  He  has  taken  enough  interest  in  the  affairs 
of  his  constituents  to  place  in  my  hands  the  task 
of  exposing  this  man,  Don  Pedro,  in  his  true 
light." 

"  That  seems  very  kind  and  disinterested  on 
the  part  of  our  Senator,"  said  Judge  Key,  with  a 
quizzical  smile;  "but  I  will  venture  to  say  that 
his  interest  has  been  excited  more  by  the  Don's 
marked  attentions  to  Mrs.  Muirhead,  than  by  the 
fear  that  some  of  his  constituents  would  be  de- 
frauded." 

Of  course  I  took  no  notice  of  this  remark, 
although  I  was  quite  convinced  that  such  was 
the  fact;  but  as  the  Senator  was  my  client,  it 
would  have  been  eminently  improper  for  me  to 
discuss  his  motives,  and  so  I  turned  to  Mr. 
Warne. 

"As  you  have  already  met  this  man  under 
another  name,  Mr.  Warne,"  I  said,  "  can  you  not 
go  with  me  to  meet  Senator  Muirhead,  and  tell 
him  what  you  know  about  him? " 

"I  must  beg  you  to  excuse  me,  Mr.  Pinker- 
ton,"  he  replied.  "You  see,  I  am  in  this  country 
in  an  official  capacity,  and,  while  I  am  personally 
perfectly  satisfied  of  the  truth  of  the  statements 
I  have  made  to  you,  I  cannot  prove  them  ;  hence, 
I  must  be  careful  not  to  involve  myself  in  a  dim* 
culty  which  would  compromise  my  position  as  a 


A  STARTLING  SCHEME.  187 

diplomatic  agent  of  Great  Britain.  I  shall  imme- 
diately give  to  the  police,  on  my  arrival  in  Lon- 
don, a  description  of  this  man,  and  I  presume 
that  prompt  action  will  be  taken  to  insure  his 
arrest  and  extradition,  in  case  his  offenses  should 
come  under  the  extradition  treaty.  But  as  this 
is  a  question  upon  which  the  decision  of  both 
governments  may  be  required,  the  delay  may 
enable  this  man  to  escape.  I  will  use  all  my 
influence  with  the  London  authorities  ;  you  will 
readily  see,  however,  that  personally  I  cannot 
appear  here  as  an  accuser  against  him." 

I  recognized  the  force  of  Mr.  Warne's  objec- 
tion, and  did  not  press  him  further,  but  Judge 
Key  agreed  to  visit  the  Senator  as  soon  as  the 
latter  should  return  to  the  city.  When  I  left 
Mr.  Warne  we  had  agreed  that  any  British 
official  who  might  be  sent  to  identify  and  arrest 
Don  Pedro,  should  communicate  with  me  the 
moment  he  arrived  in  this  country,  so  that  we 
could  work  together  for  the  same  object,  though 
my  whole  duty  in  the  case  would  be  to  protect 
the  interests  of  my  client,  Senator  Muirhead.  I 
then  returned  to  my  room  with  Mr.  Bangs,  and 
made  a  new  move.  I  saw  that  more  than  two 
months  would  elapse  before  any  news  could  bo 
expected  from  London,  as  Mr.  Warne  would  be 
somewhat  delayed  in  his  return  home,  and  mean- 
lime,  the  Don  would  probably  obtain  a  large 
advance  payment  for  his  fictitious  mines.  If 
anything  should  occur  to  prevent  us  from  sending 
him  to  England,  he  might  succeed  in  getting 


188  A  STARTLING  SCHEME. 

away  with  his  plunder  before  we  could  find  any 
new  grounds  upon  which  to  hold  him.  I  therefore 
instructed  Mr.  Bangs  to  write  to  the  proper 
authorities  in  Peru,  Brazil,  and  Ecuador,  describ- 
ing Don  Pedro  and  his  numerous  suspected 
aliases  accurately,  and  asking  that  some  steps  be 
taken  by  his  victims  to  bring  him  to  justice.  It 
was  true  that  we  had  no  extradition  treaties  with 
those  countries,  but  nevertheless  he  might  be 
arrested  and  frightened  into  surrendering  him- 
self voluntarily.  The  letters  were  dispatched  at 
once,  and  duplicates  were  also  forwarded  by  the 
next  steamer.  There  remained  nothing  further 
for  me  to  do  except  to  keep  a  strict  watch  upon 
the  Moritos  to  see  that  they  should  not  slip  off 
suddenly  with  a  large  sum  of  money.  The  Dia- 
mond Company  were  in  such  haste  to  bind  the 
bargain  with  Don  Pedro,  by  making  him  a  large 
payment,  that  there  could  be  no  hope  of  prevent- 
ing the  partial  success  of  his  scheme.  Whether 
I  might  not  be  able  to  force  him  to  disgorge 
afterward  was  uncertain,  but  I  determined  to  use 
every  means  in  my  power  to  accomplish  such  a 
result. 


VERY  SUSPICIOUS  PREPARATIONS.  189 


CHAPTER  V. 

The  third  Detective  is  made  icelcome  at  Dor,  Pedro's. — 
The  Senor  is  paid  the  first  half-million  dollars  from 
the  great  Diamond  Company. — How  Don  Pedro  is 
"working"  his  Diamond  Mines. —  Very  suspicious 
preparations. — The  Don  describes  his  proposed  Fete 
Champetre. 

ONE  evening,  as  the  members  of  the  Morito 
family  were  about  to  retire,  Monsieur  Le- 
sparre  noticed  a  nervousness  and  abstraction  in 
Don  Pedro  such  as  he  had  never  shown  before. 
Thinking  that  something  new  might  be  learned 
by  overhearing  the  conversation  between  the  Don 
and  Donna  when  they  should  be  alone,  Lespanv, 
instead  of  going  to  his  own  room,  slipped  into  an 
unused  closet  adjoining  the  Don's  dressing-room, 
and  communicating  therewith  by  a  door,  which 
was  kept  locked.  There  was  a  transom  over  this 
door,  and,  by  climbing  to  one  of  the  shelves, 
Lesparre  could  hear  all  that  was  said  in  either 
room  of  the  Don's  bedroom  suite.  He  had  hardly 
taken  this  position  when  the»  two  entered  their 
apartments. 

"See  what  a  handsome  necklace  that  old  fool 
Mather  sent  mo  to-day,"  said  the  Donna. 

"  Yes,  it  is  very  elegant  and  valuable,"  said  Don 
Pedro,  with  a  yawn;  "but  what  we  most  need  is 
money.  However,  I  do  not  imagine  we  shall 
have  any  difficulty,  for  I  expect  a  large  sum  in  a 


190  VERY  SUSPICIOUS  PREPARATIONS. 

few  days  from  the  stockholders  in  this  Diamond 
Company.  Still,  you  may  as  well  get  all  you  can 
out  of  Mather  and  the  others,  for  we  mast  keep 
up  our  present  style  of  living  to  the  end." 

Just  at  this  moment  the  shelf  upon  \\  hich  Le- 
sparre  was  sitting  gave  a  loud  creak,  and  he  had 
only  just  time  to  slip  down  and  regain  his  own 
room  before  the  Don  came  out  to  see  what  was 
the  matter.  Fortunately,  there  was  a  large  pet 
cat  in  the  hall,  and  she  received  the  credit  of 
having  made  the  noise. 

The  next  day,  on  hearing  Lesparre's  report,  I 
decided  to  place  still  another  detective  in  the 
Morito  mansion,  and  so  I  instructed  Lesparre  to 
recommend  the  employment  of  a  young  man  to 
assist  the  butler  and  to  do  general  work  about 
the  house.  As  I  expected,  Don  Pedro  acquiesced 
in  the  suggestion,  and  told  Lesparre  to  engage 
such  men-servants  as  he  considered  necessary. 
Accordingly,  I  at  once  telegraphed  to  Chicago  to 
have  a  young  fellow  named  George  Salter  sent 
to  Gloster  at  once.  He  was  a  very  intelligent 
French  Canadian,  and  I  chose  him  because  of 
his  slim  build,  his  ingenuity,  and  his  capacity  as 
an  eavesdropper.  He  could  listen  to  a  conversa- 
tion with  such  a  stolid  expression  that  no  one 
would  imagine  he  had  an'  idea  in  his  head  beyond 
tho  performance  of  his  regular  tasks,  and  even 
when  caught  in  a  place  where  he  had  no  right  to 
be,  he  could  invent  a  plausible  reason  on  the  in- 
stant, which  would  divert  all  suspicion  from  him. 
On  his  arrival  in  Gloster,  he  was  sent  to  ask  em- 


VERY  SUSPICIOUS  PKEPARATIONS.  191 

ployment  of  Monsieur  Lesparre,  and,  of  course, 
the  latter  was  so  pleased  with  him  as  to  engage 
him  at  once.  He  made  himself  very  useful  in 
the  house,  and  soon  became  popular  with  every 
inmate. 

A  few  days  later  a  meeting  of  the  stockholders 
of  the  Diamond  Company  was  held,  and  it  was 
agreed  to  make  a  payment  of  five  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars  at  once,  another  like  sum  when  the 
title-deeds  should  be  delivered,  and  the  balance 
within  one  year  from  that  time.  This  arrange- 
ment was  satisfactory  to  the  Don,  and  the  sum 
of  half  a  million  dollars  was  paid  over  that  day  in 
the  checks  of  the  different  original  subscribers. 
The  meeting  then  appointed  a  committee  of  two 
to  visit  Peru  and  examine  the  property.  There 
was  some  difficulty  in  selecting  two  gentlemen 
who  would  be  willing  to  go,  and  yet  who  would 
be  satisfactory  to  the  others;  but  Deacon  Hum- 
phrey and  John  Preston  were  finally  chosen. 
Either  of  these  gentlemen  was  willing  to  go  any- 
where at  others'  expense,  and  it  was  believed 
that  John  Preston  was  too  well  versed  in  fraudu- 
lent practices  to  let  any  one  else  do  any  cheating; 
hence,  he  was  sent  to  investigate  the  mines,  and 
Deacon  Humphrey  was  sent  to  see  that  John 
Preston  should  not  steal  them.  They  were  not 
to  depart  on  their  mission,  however,  until  the 
title-deeds  were  received  from  Peru  and  delivered 
to  the  directors. 

Don  Pedro  passed  the  checks  over  to  Lesparro, 
and  in  Ton ned  the  meeting  that  'he  had  already 


192  VERY  SUSPICIOUS  PREPARATIONS. 

sent  to  Peru  for  the  deeds,  and  that  the  directors 
should  be  informed  the  moment  they  should  ar- 
rive; thereafter,  all  business  matters  relative  to 
his  interest  in  the  mines  would  be  attended  to  by 
Robert  Harrington,  Esq.,  who  would  be  his  attor- 
ney in  fact.  The  deeds  would  be  directed  to  Mr. 
Harrington,  and  that  gentleman  would  deliver 
them  to  the  directors,  receive  the  second  pay- 
ment, and  give  his  receipt  therefor. 

This  arrangement  was  satisfactory  to  all,  and 
the  meeting  adjourned  in  good  spirits,  every  man 
feeling  that  the  Don  had  done  him  a  personal 
favor  in  accepting  his  check  in  part  payment  for 
such  a  valuable  property. 

The  Don,  having  indorsed  the  checks,  in- 
structed Lesparre  to  present  them  at  once  for 
payment,  each  at  its  own  bank,  and  to  bring  the 
money  to  the  house;  he  was  to  obtain  as  much 
as  possible  in  gold,  as  the  Don  professed  to  have 
little  confidence  in  the  bills  of  private  banks. 

"  They  may  be  perfectly  sound,  Lesparre,"  he 
said,  in  an  off-hand  way,  "but  then,  you  know, 
we  foreigners  are  accustomed  to  government 
bills,  or  gold,  and  so  I  prefer  to  have  the  latter." 

Taking  Don  Pedro's  carriage,  Lesparre  visited 
each  bank,  and  by  the  time  he  had  cashed  the 
last  check,  he  had  a  considerable  weight  of  gold 
and  a  large  amount  of  bills,  about  two- thirds 
having  been  paid  in  coin.  Lesparre  and  Salter 
carried  all  the  money  up  to  the  Don's  dressing- 
room,  where  the  Don  and  Donna  were  sitting. 

'•'  There,  my  dear, ''  said  Don  Pedro  to  his  wife, 


VKRY   SUriPICIOUS   PREPARATIONS.  193 

r<  this  is  the  first  installment  of  the  purchase 
•jioney  of  the  diamond  fields,  so  that  now  it  will 
not  be  long  before  they  will  be  thoroughly  worked. 
The  directors  have  promised  me  that  you  shall 
have  the  finest  diamond  set  that  the  mines  can 
produce  within  a  year  from  this  time,  as  a  pres- 
ent from  the  company,  and  you  need  no  longer 
plague  me  for  not  having  tried  to  work  them  be- 
fore." 

"Oh!  Pedro,  how  lovely!"  exclaimed  the 
Donna;  "you  know  I  have  always  wanted  you 
to  open  those  mines,  and  I  am  so  glad  that  you 
have  consented.  -Now  I  shall  have  a  set  that  I 
shall  be  proud  of." 

"Well,  I  did  not  like  to  give  up  the  old  estate 
to  strangers,  I  confess,"  replied  the  Don;  "but 
now  that  it  is  done,  I  do  not  regret  it.  If  you  wish 
any  money,  help  yourself;  you  can  write  to  your 
agents  in  Rio  that  they  need  not  send  any  more 
for  the  present,  for  we  shall  have  as  much  as  we 
can  use  for  a  year  or  two.  George,"  he  con- 
tinued, addressing  Salter,  "you  will  find  a  stout 
iron  box  in  the  attic,  and  I  think  it  will  serve  as 
a  safe  for  the  present.  Bring  it  down  hero  and 
put  it  in  this  room." 

The  box  was  soon  brought,  and  the  Dort 
checked  off  the  packages  of  gold  and  bills  as  Le- 
spnnv  parki-d  them  ;nvay.  the  gold  at  the  bottom. 

"Now,  you  can  ch<'<  k  against  my  bank  ac- 
counts for  our  current  expenses,  Lesparre,"  said 
Don  Pedro,  with  a  complacent  smile;  "and  when 
the  funds  on  deposit  are  exhausted,  I  will  give 

9 


194  VERY    SUSPICIOUS   PREPARATIONS. 

you  casn  monthly  to  pay  all  bills  as  heretofore.  1 
intend  to  give  a  grand  fete  champetre  soon,  as  a 
lesson  to  these  Gloster  people  how  to  enjoy  liL'e. 
I  propose  to  engage  one  of  the  islands  in  the 
liver  at  once,  and  begin  the  necessary  work  of 
preparing  it  artistically  for  the  scene  of  our 
revelry.  I  shall  choose  one  of  the  large  wooded 
islands  with  ridges  and  ravines  running  through 
it,  and  it  will  take  about  two  weeks  to  clear  away 
the  underbrush,  to  clean  up  the  grass  and  pre- 
pare the  landing-places.  Then,  by  the  end  of  an- 
other week,  the  weather  will  be  delightful,  and 
our  arrangements  will  be  completed.  I  will  make 
the  place  a  fairy  spectacle,  such  as  the  unim- 
aginative inhabitants  of  Gloster  never  dreamed 
of,  and  then  we  will  prepare  for  our  summer  trip 
to  Newport  and  Saratoga.  What  do  you  think 
of  the  plan,  Monsieur  Lesparre  ? " 

"It  is  an  admirable  one,  and  I  feel  sure  that 
the  people  of  Gloster  will  enjoy  such  an  entertain- 
ment far  more  than  any  that  has  ever  been  given 
here." 

'  Well,  I  shall  rely  largely  upon  your  assist- 
ance," continued  the  Don,  carefully  locking  his 
safe  as  he  spoke,  "and  we  must  divide  the  duties 
between  us,  though  of  course  my  time  will  be 
somewhat  taken  up  by  society.  Suppose  we  issue 
invitations  for  three  weeks  from  to-day  ? " 

"Better  say  five  weeks,  if  not  six,"  replied  Le- 
sparre, anxious  to  delay  Don  Pedro's  depart  uro  aR 
much  as  possible  in  order  to  obtain  an  answer  <o 
our  letters  to  Peru  and  Brazil.  "You  see.  i!x> 


VERY  SUSPICIOUS  PREPARATIONS.  195 

people  here  are  not  accustomed  to  such  gayeties, 
and  it  will  take  some  time  to  prepare  their  minds 
to  appreciate  it." 

"Yes,  that  is  true,"  said  the  Don,  reflectively; 
4 '  but  I  do  not  like  to  defer  it  so  long.  However, 
let  us  compromise  by  fixing  one  month  hence  as 
the  time,  and  we  will  make  it  a  masquerade  as 
well  as  an  outdoor  fete.  The  guests  will  then 
have  ample  time  to  prepare  their  costumes,  and 
we  can  give  that  as  a  reason  for  issuing  the  invi- 
tations so  long  in  advance." 

The  Don  was  in  no  special  hurry  to  escape  with 
his  plunder,  but  neither  was  he  desirous  of 
remaining  too  long  in  the  vicinity  of  his  victims; 
hence,  although  he  had  no  suspicion  that  his 
schemes  had  been  discovered  by  any  one,  he  fixed 
an  earlier  date  than  that  suggested  by  Lesparre 
hi  order  to  prevent  the  probability  of  any  accident 
occurring  to  mar  his  plans. 

Lesparre  immediately  ordered  the  cards  of  invi- 
tation, and  in  a  few  days  all  Gloster  was  in  a 
state  of  pleasurable  excitement  over  the  news  of 
the  coming  event.  Never  had  such  a  commotion 
been  created  in  the  placid  waters  of  society  as 
was  raised  by  the  delicate  cards  of  invitation  to 
Seilora  Morito's  fete  cliampetre  and  bal  masque. 
The  number  who  received  invitations  was  enor- 
mous, including  every  individual  having  any 
claims  to  be  regarded  as  a  member  of  good  society. 
From  that  time  forward,  Lesparre  was  so  busy 
with  the  preparations  for  the  fete  that  he  was 
able  to  see  very  little  of  the  rest  of  the  family  except 


J96  VERY   SUSPICIOUS  PREPARATIONS. 

in  the  evening.  The  Don  and  Donna  and  Madame 
Seviei  continued  their  usual  round  of  dissipation 
and  gayety,  however,  and  "all  went  merry  as  a 
marriage  bell." 

Still  there  were  some  curious  features  of  their 
conduct  which  I  regarded  with  suspicion.  Every 
day  the  Don  gave  Lesparre  a  large  sum  in  bank- 
bills  to  be  exchanged  for  gold,  and  the  coin  was 
then  locked  up  in  the  iron  safe.  Then  the  Don 
and  Donna  held  frequent  conversations  in  Span- 
ish, during  which  it  was  easy  to  see  by  their 
manner  that  they  were  discussing  an  affair  of 
great  importance.  Madame  Sevier  found  a  new- 
ly-purchased traveler's  guide-book  in  the  Donna's 
bureau,  and  from  various  marks  and  turned 
pages  it  was  evident  that  it  had  been  carefully 
consulted  with  reference  to  an  ocean  voyage. 
These  things  led  me  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
Don  was  preparing  for  a  journey,  and  the  fact 
that  he  made  no  mention  of  it,  even  to  Lesparre, 
showed  that  he  intended  to  go  secretly.  To  all 
his  acquaintances  he  spoke  freely  of  his  con- 
templated tour  of  the  watering-places  during  the 
summer,  but  he  always  promised  to  spend  the 
following  winter  in  Gloster,  without  fail;  hence 
it  was  clear  that  he  was  playing  a  double  game, 
to  deceive  some  one.  I  could  only  wait  further 
developments,  and  heartily  wish  for  advices  from 
Peru  or  England. 

In  company  with  Judge  Key  I  called  upon  Sen- 
ator Muirhead,  on  the  return  of  that  gentleman 
from  the  session  of  Congress,  and  we  discussed 


VERY  SUSPICIOUS  PREPARATIONS.  197 

together  the  best  plaii  to  pursue,  to  foil  the 
schemes  of  Don  Pedro.  The  Senator  was  very 
anxious  to  proceed  against  him  immediately, 
with  the  intention  of  showing  him  up  in  his  true 
character,  and  thus  saving  his  victims  from  any 
further  loss. 

"  Indeed,  Senator  Muirhead,"  I  replied,  "  I  am 
as  desirous  to  arrest  his  fraudulent  operations  as 
yourself,  but  I  want  to  be  sure  of  success  before 
I  do  anything,  and  I  do  not  see  my  way  clear  to 
act  just  now.  At  present  we  can  prove  nothing 
whatever  against  him;  in  fact,  the  only  charge 
we  could  make  would  be  that  of  obtaining  money 
under  false  pretenses.  Now,  what  evidence  couJd 
we  bring  to  substantiate  the  accusation  ?  There 
is  no  judge  living  that  would  hold  him  on  my  or 
your  individual  opinion  that  he  has  sold  mines 
which  do  not  exist,  and  we  should  have  nothing 
else  to  offer." 

"Yes,  but  you  forget  his  forgeries  in  other 
countries,"  interrupted  the  Senator. 

"  In  the  first  place,"  I  replied,  "  you  could  not 
charge  him  in  this  countiy  with  crimes  com- 
mitted elsewhere,  even  though  you  had  the  posi- 
tive proof  of  those  crimes.  If  you  charged  him 
here  with  obtaining  money  under  false  pre- 
tenses, you  could  produce  no  testimony  except 
such  as  bore  upon  the  specific  act  alleged  in  your 
complaint;  all  other  testimony  would  be  ruled 
out.  But,  even  suppose  that  such  testimony 
were  admissible,  can  you  produce  any  witness  to 
his  crimes  in  other  countries  ?  Indeed,  admitting 


108  VERY  SUSPICIOUS  PREPARATIONS. 

again  that  these  crimes  were  proven,  can  we  es- 
tablish the  identity  of  Don  Pedro  P.  L.  de  Morito 
as  the  perpetrator  of  those  crimes  ?  No,  sir;  we 
have  not  a  single  witness;  I  ask  you  as  a  lawy?r, 
J  udge  Key,  am  I  not  right  ? " 

"You  are  correct  in  every  particular,  Mr. 
Pinkerton,"  replied  the  Judge.  "  I  confess  that 
you  present  the  difficulties  of  the  case  more 
forcibly  than  I  could  have  done  myself." 

"  Yes,  you  are  right,  Mr.  Pinkerton,"  said  Sen- 
ator Muirhead;  "I  do  not  see  that  we  can  do 
anything  ;  yet  it  seems  shameful  to  sit  idly  doing 
nothing,  when  we  know  that  this  scoundrel  is 
obtaining  such  immense  sums  from  our  people. 
What  do  you  propose  to  do  in  the  future,  Mr. 
Pinkerton  ? " 

"I  can  hardly  tell  what  may  be  possible  as 
yet,"  I  answered;  "but  I  feel  sure  that  I  shall 
not  only  prevent  him  from  securing  any  more 
plunder,  but  also  wrest  from  him  that  which  has 
already  fallen  into  his  hands.  He  feels  secure  in 
the  possession  of  this  large  sum,  and  he  is  in  no 
great  hurry  to  get  away;  he  will  undoubtedly  i  o 
main  until  after  his  fete  champetre  at  least.  Be- 
fore that  time,  I  hope  to  hear  something  definite 
from  either  England  or  Peru,  and  then  I  can  act 
with  a  power  in  reserve  in  case  our  own  means 
should  be  insufficient  to  enforce  our  demands  for 
restitution.  Any  action  against  him  now  would 
only  result  in  hastening  his  departure  with  all 
the  money  he  has  gained,  for  I  am  certain  that 
we  could  not  hold  him." 


VERY  SUSPICIOUS  PREPARATIONS.  190 

"Well,  I  see  that  nothing  can  be  done  jow," 
said  the  Senator,  despondently;  "  but  do  not  lose 
sight  of  this  man  for  a  moment,  Mr.  Pinkerton, 
for  he  seems  an  adept  in  all  the  tricks  of  crime." 

"Never  fear,  Senator  Muirhead,"  I  replied, 
cheerfully;  "I  feel  sure  that  we  shall  eventually 
not  only  bring  his  career  here  to  a  hasty  close, 
but  also  recover  the  money  which  he  has  fraudu- 
lently obtained." 

When  we  parted,  the  Senator  was  a  little  more 
hopeful,  though  he  said  that  he  should  not  be  at 
all  surprised  if  Don  Pedro  outwitted  us  after  all 
The  loss  to  the  Senator's  friends  would,  of  course, 
be  very  large;  but,  perhaps,  the  lesson  would  not 
be  a  bad  thing  for  them;  they  would  know  better 
thereafter  than  to  part  with  their  money  so  fool- 
ishly. 

That  same  evening  the  Don  and  Donna,  Mon- 
sieur Lesparre,  and  Madame  Sevier,  were  engaged 
for  the  evening  at  a  dancing  party  given  by 
Judge  Peter  B.  Taylor.  Knowing  of  their  inten- 
tions to  attend  this  party,  I  saw  an  excellent  op- 
portunity for  Salter  to  examine  the  private  apart 
ments  of  the  Don  and  Donna.  Accordingly, 
after  the  family  had  gone  away  in  the  carriage, 
Salter  began  to  talk  to  the  other  servants  about 
the  advantages  of  belonging  to  a  family  where 
the  domestics  were  allowed  to  do  as  they  pleased, 
instead  of  being  so  carefully  watched.  The  laun- 
dress then  related  how  much -less  pleasure  they 
had,  now  that  Madame  Sevier  was  in  charge  of 
the  household. 


200  VERY  SUSPICIOUS  PREPARATIONS. 

"  Why,"  said  she,  "  before  this  French  woman 
came,  the  servants  here  had  as  good  a  time  as 
any  one  could  ask.  Many  a  fine  ribbon,  or  hand 
kerchief,  or  bit  of  a  collar,  they  picked  up  unbo- 
knownst  to  the  Donna;  and,  as  for  aitin',  why 
there  was  niver  a  lock  on  any  storeroom  in  the 
house,  so  that  there  was  lashins  of  good  livin'  in 
the  kitchen  as  well  as  in  the  dinin'-room.  But 
when  this  Madame  Sevyay  came,  she  put  every- 
thing under  lock  and  key,  and  she  snapped  off 
the  old  cook's  head  in  no  time  for  sassin'  her. 
Jist  so  with  the  men;  this  Lesparre,  the  Don's 
private  secretary,  is  as  close  with  the  men  as  the 
Madame  is  with  the  women.  The  butler  used 
to  often  bring  a  nice  bottle  of  wine  into  the 
kitchen  for  us  to  be  merry  over,  but  he  can't  do 
it  now." 

"Well,  I  believe  I  can  find  something  to  drink 
by  a  little  search,"  said  Salter,  with  a  knowing 
wink  at  the  laundress  and  chambermaid.  "  You 
wait  here,  and  I'll  see  what  I  can  do  to  provide  a 
glass  of  wine  all  'round. 

"Oh!  would  you  dare?"  asked  the  handsome 
chambermaid,  looking  at  Salter  admiringly. 
"Ain't  you  'fraid  you'll  be  caught?" 

"  No,  indeed;  I  believe  I  can  get  a  bottle  of  port 
out  of  one  of  the  rooms  upstairs,  without  any  one 
ever  discovering  its  loss.  Anyhow,  I'm  going 
to  try,  so  you  all  stay  here  while  I  make  search. 1? 

Accordingly,  Salter  went  straight  to  the  Don's 
room^  to  which  he  had  a  key.  Having  received 
from  Lesparre  an  impression  of  the  locks  of  the 


VERY  SUSPICIOUS  PREPARATIONS.  201 

house  several  days  before,  I  had  had  a  skeleton 
key  made,  which  would  open  almost  any  door 
about  the  place.  While  apparently  engaged  in 
cleaning  the  door-knobs,  it  had  been  a  very  ea^> 
matter  for  him  to  take,  in  wax,  a  complete  im- 
pression of  the  wards  of  all  the  door-locks,  with 
out  attracting  suspicion.  He  now  had  no  diffi- 
culty, therefore,  in  entering  the  Don's  room, 
where  he  found  that  the  Don  had  removed  his 
iron  chest  from  his  dressing-room  to  his  chamber, 
it  being  placed  at  the  head  of  the  bedstead.  On 
trying  to  lift  the  box,  he  found  that  it  was  very 
heavy  indeed,  requiring  all  his  strength  to  stir  it. 
This  was  due,  of  course,  to  the  coin  which  had 
been  put  into  it,  and  Salter's  testimony,  therefore, 
corroborated  Lesparre's.  Salter  then,  in  accord- 
ance with  my  instructions,  carefully  bored  holes 
through  the  door  leading  into  the  closet  in  which 
Lesparre  had  once  listened  to  a  short  conversation 
between  the  Don  and  Donna.  He  arranged  these 
holes  so  that  they  would  not  be  detected  by  the 
eye,  and  having  thus  prepared  an  excellent  place 
for  listening  to  the  occupants  of  the  chamber 
suite,  Salter  returned  to  the  kitchen.  On  the 
way,  he  opened  the  dining-room  sideboard  and 
captured  a  bottle  of  port  wine,  with  which  he'  en- 
tertained the  other  servants  in  fine  style. 

Meanwhile,  the  Don  and  his  party  had  been 

received  with  the  utmost  cordiality  by  Judge 

Taylor  and  his  wife,  who  felt  quite  proud  to  bo 

the  first  to  entertain  such  distinguished  guests 

8* 


202  VERY  SUSPICIOUS  PREPARATIONS. 

after  the  sale  of  the  diamond  mines,  and  the  issue 
of  the  invitations  to  the  Don's  grand  fete. 

Every  one  had  talked  about  the  affair,  but  no 
one  felt  exactly  sure  what  a  fete  champetre  was, 
and  so  United  States  Commissioner  Charlie  Mor- 
ton determined  to  ask  the  Don  himself  what  his 
entertainment  would  be.  Accordingly,  as  Dor 
Pedro  approached  with  Mrs.  Arlington  on  his 
arm,  Morton  greeted  him  pleasantly,  and  said: 

44  Don  Pedro,  every  one  who  has  received  an 
invitation  to  jour  fete  champetre  is  dying  of  curi- 
osity to  know  what  it  means,  and  so  I  am  going 
to  take  the  liberty  of  asking  you  to  explain  it.  I 
freely  confess  my  own  ignorance,  and  I  know 
that  there  are  a  great  many  others  no  better  in- 
formed than  I  am,  who  would  be  ashamed  to  ad- 
mit that  fact;  but  I  cheerfully  acknowledge  that 
I  have  never  attended  one,  and  I  don't  know  how 
I  shall  be  expected  to  dress  nor  to  act.  So  please 
tell  me  all  about  it,  and  I  will  promise  to  spread 
the  news  among  my  acquaintances." 

"My  dear  sir,"  replied  Don  Pedro,  politely,  "I 
admire  your  frankness,  and  I  shall  take  pleasure 
in  explaining  the  principal  features  of  our  fete 
champetre.  It  was  the  Donna  Lucia's  desire  and 
mine  to  devote  one  day  to  enjoyment,  and  we 
therefore  decided  upon  giving  an  entertainment 
in  the  open  air  which  should  combine  every 
species  of  gayety  and  social  recreation.  It  is  our 
intention  to  embark  in  the  forenoon  and  proceed 
by  steamer  to  one  of  the  large  islands  in  the  riv  er. 
There  everything  will  be  prepared  for  out  dooi 


VERY  SUSPICIOUS  PREPARATIONS.  203 

enjoyment;  there  will  be  boats  and  bathing- 
houses;  swings  and  archery -grounds;  billiard- 
tables  and  bowling-alleys;  in  short,  opportunities 
will  be  provided  for  the  gratification  of  every 
one's  tastes.  About  five  o'clock  a  dinner  will  be 
served,  the  menu  for  which  will  include  every 
procurable  luxury  of  the  table,  and  after  dinner, 
the  evening  will  be  spent  in  dancing  on  the  open 
platforms  or  in  enclosed  ballrooms,  according  to 
the  preferences  of  the  guests,  while  magnesium 
lights  and  colored  lanterns  will  give  all  possible 
brilliancy  to  the  scene.  Dazzling  displays  of  fire- 
works will  be  given  at  intervals  during  the  even- 
ing, and  when  we  finally  leave  the  island  on  our 
return  to  the  city,  a  grand  illumination  of  the 
whole  island  will  take  place  as  we  steam  off  into 
the  darkness." 

Quite  a  group  had  gathered  around  while  the 
Don  was  speaking,  and  as  he  closed,  there  was  a 
general  murmur  of  admiration.  The  whole 
affair  was  planned  on  a  scale  of  such  magnifi- 
cence as  to  appear  almost  too  wonderful  to  be  be- 
lieved, but  the  Don  had  shown  such  fertility  of 
invention  previously,  that  there  was  no  doubt  he 
was  quite  equal  to  creating  a  scene  of  oriental 
splendor  such  as  had  never  before  been  witnessed 
in  this  country. 

"Well,  I  admit  frankly,"  said  Charlie  Morton, 
"that  we  Americans  must  learn  the  art  of  enjoy- 
ing life  from  foreigners,  and  I  think  there  is  no 
doubt  that  Don  Pedro  is  a  most  adept  master  of 
its  mysteries.  Is  there  not  something  said  in  the 


204:  VERY  SUSPICIOUS  PREPARATIONS. 

invitations    about    appearing    in    masks,    Don 
Pedro?" 

u  Oh,  yes  ;  I  forgot  to  say  at  first  that  I 
will  be  much  amusement  in  requiring  every 
guest  to  be  dressed  in  fancy  costume  and  to  wear 
a  mask.  The  masks  will  not  be  removed  until 
the  dinner  is  served,  and  then,  at  a  given  signal, 
the  guests  will  expose  themselves  in  their  own 
characters." 

The  Don's  description  of  the  intended  pro- 
gramme for  the  fete  was  soon  repeated  through 
all  the  fashionable  circles  of  Gloster,  and  the  ex- 
pectation of  the  whole  city  was  raised  to  a  high 
pitch.  No  other  social  event  had  ever  created  a 
like  excitement,  and  it  was  the  theme  of  conver- 
sation at  all  times  and  in  all  places. 

The  day  following  the  Taylor's  party  Don 
Pedro  seemed  to  have  determined  to  get  rid  of  as 
much  paper  money  in  exchange  for  gold  as  pos- 
sible, and  during  the  day  he  sent  more  than 
twenty  thousand  dollars  to  be  exchanged  ;  of  this 
amount  Lesparre  and  Madame  Sevier  handled  the 
greater  portion,  but  even  the  young  man,  Salter, 
was  entrusted  with  three  thousand  dollars  in 
paper,  for  which  he  obtained  gold  at  a  trifling 
discount.  This  method  of  exchanging  money 
was  repeated  several  times,  it  being  evidently  the 
Don's  intention  to  retain  nothing  but  gold  in  his 
possession,  and  as  he  had  already  obtained  the 
greater  portion  of  his  plunder  in  coin,  it  was  not 
long  before  he  had  accomplished  his  object. 

Meantime,  the  preparations  for  tho  fete  went 


A  MYSTERIOUS  STRANGER.  205 

on  apace,  and  the  time  of  the  Don  and  Lesparre 
was  quite  fully  occupied  in  planning  an  d  arrang- 
ing the  details.  The  Senator  called  to  see  me 
daily,  and  his  constant  urging  somewhat  excited 
me,  so  that  I  became  nervous  and  apprehensive 
myself.  Still,  no  news  came  from  abroad,  and  I 
could  do  nothing. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

A  Mysterious  Stranger.  —  An  unexpected  Meeting  and  a 
startling  Recognition.  —  An  old  Friend  somewhat 
disturbs  the  Equanimity  of  Don  Pedro.  —  The  Detec- 
tives fix  their  Attention  upon  Pietro  Bernard*.  — 
Pietro  and  his  unpalatable  Reminiscences.  —  The 
Donna  shows  Spirit. 


ARLY  one  forenoon  Salter  was  called  to  the 
-LiJ  front  door  by  a  violent  pull  at  the  bell,  and 
on  arriving  there  he  confronted  a  rather  disrep- 
utable-looking character,  who  eyed  him  with  an 
extremely  distrustful  look.  The  man  appeared 
to  be  about  thirty  years  old,  and  he  was  evidently 
a  foreigner.  He  was  tall,  well-formed,  and  mus- 
cular, and  his  general  bearing  was  quite  at  variance 
with  his  ragged,  dirty  clothing.  He  had  black 
hair  and  moustache,  a  swarthy  complexion,  small 
feet  and  hands,  the  latter  soft  and  well-shaped, 
and  his  dark  eyes  were  piercing  and  brilliant. 

"Good  morning,"  he  said  to  Salter,  with  a 
haughty  nod;  "  is  Don  Juan  at  home  2  " 


206  A  MYSTEKIOUS  STRANGER. 

"  No  such  person  lives  here,"  replied  Salter. 
partially  closing  the  door  upon  the  wolfish- 
appearing  stranger. 

"I  have  good  reasons  for  believing  that  Don 
Juan  is  here,"  replied  the  man,  "and  is  doubtless 
the  guest  of  the  gentleman  who  resides  here.  At 
any  rate,  I  know  that  he  is  now  in  this  house, 
and  I  want  to  see  him  very  much.  He  would  be 
equally  glad  to  see  me  if  he  knew  I  were  here;" 
and  so  saying,  he  pushed  Salter  aside  and  entered 
the  hall. 

This  action  still  further  prejudiced  Salter  against 
him,  and  he  said: 

"  Perhaps  you  mean  Monsieur  Lesparre,  who  is 
a  guest  of  my  employer? " 

"That  may  be,"  replied  the  man;  " please  say 
that  I  wish  to  see  him  immediately." 

Salter  did  not  care  to  leave  the  stranger  alone, 
and  so  he  told  one  of  the  female  servants,  who  was 
dusting  the  parlor  furniture,  to  call  Monsieur  Le- 
sparre. That  gentleman  was  in  Don  Pedro's 
room,  discussing  some  plans  for  the  fete,  and, 
when  informed  that  a  stranger  wished  to  see 
him,  he  told  the  servant  to  show  him  to  the 
room  where  he  usually  transacted  business.  As 
the  man  passed  before  Don  Pedro's  door,  how- 
ever, Lesparre  stepped  out  to  learn  who  it  was. 

"This  man  wishes  to  see  you,  Monsieur  Le- 
sparre," said  Salter,  who  was  following  the  stran- 
ger. 

"That  is  not  the  gentleman  I  asked  for,"  the 
latter  replied. 


A  MYSTERIOUS  STRANGER.  20Y 

At  this  instant  Don  Pedro  came  into  the  hall, 
and,  as  his  eyes  fell  upon  the  stranger,  he  gave  a 
sudden  start,  and  became  very  pale.  The  recog 
nition  was  mutual,  for  the  newcomer  rushed  for- 
ward and  said: 

"  Ah!  Don  Juan,  I  am  delighted  to  meet  you 
again.  I  knew  I  was  not  mistaken  when  I  saw 
you  yesterday  and  recognized " 

"There,  there!"  interrupted  the  Don,  giving 
the  speaker  a  warning  look,  "  I  am  glad  to  meet 
you  again,  Pietro;  walk  into  my  room,  and  sit 
down." 

Lesparre  was  about  to  follow,  but  Don  Pedro 
stopped,  and  whispered  to  him: 

"Excuse  me  a  short  time,  my  dear  Lesparre; 
this  is  an  old  acquaintance  whom  I  knew  in  bet- 
ter circumstances  years  ago.  He  seems  quite  re- 
duced now,  and  he  may  be  sensitive  enough  to 
object  to  telling  the  story  of  his  loss  of  fortune 
before  a  stranger;"  and,  so  saying,  the  Don  re- 
tired to  his  room,  leaving  Lesparre  and  Salter 
outside. 

The  latter  immediately  hurried  into  the  closet, 
where  he  could  hear  the  whole  conversation 
within  the  room. 

"Well,  Pietro,"  began  the  Don,  "where  are 
you  from  ?  You  have  not  been  fortunate,  it  is 
evident;  but  how  did  it  happen  ? " 

"  You  are  right;  1  have  had  bad  luck,"  replied 
Pietro.     "It  is  the  old  story;  I  have  had  thou- 
sands of  dollars  at  times,  and  have  lived  lik 
prin<(>:  and  again   1   li  n  Uullv  tivalrii 


208  A  MYSTERIOUS  STRANGER. 

Dame  Fortune,  and  have  lived  as  I  could;  tut  1 
have  never  before  been  so  very  miserable  and 
poor  as  now.  Positively,  it  is  most  providential 
that  I  have  met  you,  for  I  have  eaten  nothing  foi 
twenty-four  hours." 

"Indeed,  Pietro.  you  shock  me,"  replied  the 
Don,  sympathetically ;  "shall  I  order  some  break- 
fast for  you  ? " 

"  No;  I  can  wait  awhile,  and  I  do  not  care  to  be 
seen  by  your  servants  until  I  get  better  clothing. 
But  tell  me  where  you  have  been  since  we  parted 
in  Peru.  You  have  certainly  been  as  fortunate 
as  I  have  been  the  reverse;  do  you  make  much  by 
gambling  ? " 

"No,  Pietro;  I  gamble  very  little,  except  in  an 
occasional  game  of  cards  with  gentlemen  of  my 
acquaintance;  but  I  made  a  good  sum — that  is," 
continued  the  Don,  checking  himself  a  moment, 
"I  made  a  wealthy  marriage,  and  my  wife's  for- 
tune is  ample  for  us  both.  By  the  way,  how  did 
you  happen  to  find  me  1" 

"Well,  I  have  been  enjoying  life  in  New  Or- 
leans for  some  time,  and,  having  won  quite  a 
large  amount  there,  I  decided  to  come  North  as 
the  mild  weather  began.  So  I  started  a  month 
ago  on  one  of  those  enormous  Mississippi  steam- 
boats, and,  of  course,  I  gambled  whenever  I  could. 
My  luck  was  bad  from  the  start,  and,  on  arriving 
here,  I  had  nothing  except  my  clothing  and 
jewelry;  these  I  pawned  gradually,  and  soon  I 
was  reduced  to  my  present  condition.  Yesterday 
I  met  you  as  you  were  entering  the  Globe  Hotel 


A  MYSTERIOUS   STRANGER.  209 

with  a  party  of  gentlemen,  but  I  did  not  want  to 
mortify  you  by  speaking  to  you  in  company  ;  so  I 
waited  until  you  came  to  this  house,  intending 
then  to  call  upon  you  late  in  the  evening,  when 
no  one  would  see  rne  ;  but  you  went  out  in  your 
carnage,  and  remained  so  late,  that  I  put  off  my 
visit  until  this  morning.  I  thought  that,  con- 
sidering our  former  relations  to  each  other,  you 
would  be  willing  to  set  me  on  my  feet  again." 

"  I  shall  be  very  glad  indeed  to  do  so,"  replied 
the  Don,  eagerly,  "and  you  must  tell  me  what 
you  wish  to  do,  and  where  you  wish  to  go." 

"Well,  just  now  I  should  like  to  go  to  break- 
fast, Don  Juan,"  said  Pietro,  with  a  gaunt  smile  ; 
"  but  I  have  no  money  to  pay  for  my  meal." 

"Don't  call  me  f  Don  Juan,'  my  dear  friend," 
said  the  Don.  "  I  have  adopted  another  name 
for  use  in  this  country,  and  of  course  no  one 
knows  me  except  as  Don  Pedro  P.  L.  de  Morito." 

"Oh,  ho!  is  that  all  there  is  of  it?"  asked 
Pietro,  with  a  laugh.  "Well,  I  shall  remember 
in  future  to  call  you  '  Don  Pedro ' ;  but  what 
can  you  do  for  me  in  the  way  of  money  and 
clothes  ? " 

"  I  will  give  you  fifty  dollars  at  once,  and  you 
can  get  a  new  outfit  yourself ;  then,  when  you 
call  again  to-morrow  morning,  we  will  talk  over 
your  future  plans.  I  have  a  very  important  en- 
gagement to  keep. in  about  fifteen  minutes,  so  I 
must  ask  you  to  excuse  me  now. " 

"  But  I  can't  get  any  respectable  suit  of  clothes 
and    underclothing    for    fifty    dollars," 
Pietro. 


210  A  MYSTERIOUS  STRANGER. 

"Well,  here  are  fifty  dollars,"  said  the  Don 
handing  a  roll  of  bills  to  Pietro,  "and  my  secre- 
tary, Monsieur  Lesparre,  will  give  you  an  equal 
amount.  You  will  then  have  enough  to  satisfy 
your  immediate  wants,  and  we  will  arrange  the 
rest  to-morrow." 

So  saying,  the  Don  called  Monsieur  Lesparre 
and  introduced  the  stranger  as  Pietro  Bernard!,  a 
fellow-countryman  in  distress.  The  Don  was 
quite  pale  and  nervous,  and  though  he  did  not 
show  any  marked  signs  of  agitation,  a  close 
observer,  like  Lesparre,  could  readily  see  that  his 
new  visitor  was  anything  but  a  welcome  one. 

"  I  wish  you  to  give  Senor  Bernard!  fifty  dol 
lars,  Monsieur  Lesparre,"  said  the  Don,  "and 
order  breakfast  for  him  here,  if  he  wishes  it.  I 
am  going  out  immediately,  as  I  see  the  carriage 
is  waiting  for  me,  but  I  shall  return  at  lunch- 
time.  Au  revoir,  gentlemen ;  call  about  nine 
o'clock  to-morrow,  Pietro."  „ 

The  Don  then  went  to  his  carriage,  and  Pietro 
followed  Lesparre  to  his  business-room,  where  he 
received  an  additional  fifty  dollars.  Pietro 
quickly  stowed  the  money  away  in  his  pocket, 
and  walked  abruptly  out  of  the  house,  saying: 

"I'll  not  trouble  you  to  prepare  breakfast  for 
me,  as  I  can  get  it  down  town  just  as  well." 

The  moment  Pietro  was  gone,  Lesparre  called 
Salter  out  of  the  closet,  and  sent  him  out  on  an 
errand  ostensibly;  of  course,  his  real  duty  was  to 
"shadow "Mr.  Pietro  Bernardi,  and  report  the 
occurrences  of  the  morning  to  me.  Salter  kepi 


A  MYSTERIOUS  STKANGER.  211 

his  man  in  view  until  he  v.  od  at  a  popular 

restaurant  table,  and  then,  knowing  that  some 
time  would  be  required  before  the  Peruvian's  ap- 
petite would  be  satisfied,  my  detective  hurried  to 
my  office,  and  made  his  report.  As  it  would  not 
be  safe  to  detain  Salter  long  away  from  his 
duties  at  the  Morito  residence,  I  decided  to  keep 
a  watch  upon  Bernardi  myself  until  Mr.  Bangs 
could  send  me  a  man  from  Chicago.  Having 
sent  a  telegram  to  Mr.  Bangs,  I  went  to  the  res- 
taurant at  once,  being  joined  by  Judge  Key  on 
the  way.  Together  we  entered  the  restaurant, 
and  I  quickly  discovered  Bernardi  still  lingering 
over  his  breakfast.  We  each  ordered  a  cup  of 
coffee,  and  I  informed  the  Judge  of  the  new  de- 
velopments in  the  case  as  brought  out  in  the  con- 
versation between  the  Don  and  Bernardi. 

"  My  opinion  is,"  I  said,  in  a  tone  audible  only 
to  the  Judge,  "  that  this  man,  Bernardi,  knows 
some  important  facts  relative  to  the  past  lif e  of 
Don  Pedro,  and  if  we  can  pump  this  information 
out  of  him,  we  may  thereby  obtain  valuable  as- 
sistance in  our  endeavors  to  outwit  the  Don. 
Now  it  shall  be  my  aim  to  learn  all  that  this  man 
knows,  for  it  may  give  us  the  means  of  proceed- 
ing against  Seiior  Morito  immediately;  but  even 
if  it  should  not,  we  may  need  such  information 
very  much.  You  see,  it  is  not  impossible  that 
we  may  be  forced  to  use  threats  to  make  him  dis- 
gorge; for  I  shall  not  let  him  escape  with  his 
plunder  without  a  struggle,  even  though  no  news 
whatever  should  come  from  Peru  or  England.  At 


212  A  MYSTERIOUS  STRANGER. 

present,  however,  we  will  devote  some  time  to 
this  Pietro  Bernardi,  and  see  what  he  can  tell 
us." 

The  Judge  fully  concurred  with  me,  and  said 
that,  as  I  might  be  too  busy  to  see  Senator  Muir- 
head,  he  would  call  upon  that  gentleman  and  tell 
him  the  latest  news.  W6  accordingly  sipped  our 
coffee  slowly  until  Bernardi  was  ready  to  go,  and 
then  I  followed  him  at  a  little  distance,  while  the 
Judge  went  to  call  upon  Senator  Muirhead. 

Bernardi  slowly  sauntered  down  the  street,  smok- 
ing a  cigar,  and  soon  reached  a  large  retail  cloth- 
ing store.  I  remained  in  the  street  watching  the 
entrance  of  the  store  about  an  hour,  when,  as  I 
expected,  Bernardi  came  out  in  a  neat  business 
suit  complete,  but  wearing  the  same  old  boots  and 
hat.  These  articles  were  soon  replaced  by  new 
ones,  and  after  a  bath  and  shave,  Senor  Bernardi 
was  a  very  different -looking  person  from  the 
rough  customer  who  had  visited  Don  Pedo  in  the 
morning.  In  addition  to  his  underclothing,  linen, 
hat,  boots,  and  suit  of  clothes,  he  purchased  at  a 
pawnbroker's  shop  some  very  decent  jewelry  and 
he  now  appeared  like  a  gentlemanly  gambler,  or 
a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trade.  He  did  not 
conclude  his  business  arrangements  until  he  had 
engaged  a  boarding-place  and  bought  a  trunk, 
which  was  sent  to  his  lodgings.  He  then  ap- 
peared to  have  relieved  his  mind  of  all  care,  and 
he  spent  the  afternoon  playing  pool  and  billiards 
in  a  fashionable  saloon.  After  dining  at  a  res- 
taurant, he  went  to  a  minstrel  entertainment, 


A  MYSTERIOUS   STRANGER.  213 

after  which  he  returned  to  his  lodgings  to  retire 
for  the  night.  When  I  went  to  bed  at  eleven 
o'clock,  after  having  followed  Bernardi  most  of 
the  day,  I  realized  that  the  duties  of  a  faithful 
"shadow"  were  sometimes  excessively  wearying. 

The  next  morning,  however,  I  found  that  a  Mr. 
Newton  had  arrived  from  Chicago  in  response  to 
my  telegram,  and  I  was  thus  relieved  from  any 
further  anxiety.  He  was  a  cool,  shrewd  fellow, 
of  attractive  appearance  and  pleasing  manners, 
so  that  he  was  peculiarly  fitted  to  obtain  the  con- 
li  donee  of  a  man  like  Bernardi,  and  it  was  on  that 
account  that  I  had  selected  him  for  the  work. 
He  had  no  difficulty  in  tracking  Bernardi  to  Don 
Pedro's  residence,  and  having  seen  him  admitted  - 
there,  Newton  hurried  back  to  report  to  me.  I 
then  instructed  him  to  follow  Bernardi  until  he 
should  have  an  opportunity  to  make  his  acquaint- 
ance; this  could  be  done  without  difficulty  in  a 
drinking  or  billiard  saloon,  and  he  was  then  to 
cultivate  an  intimacy  with  him.  * 

On  asking  to  see  Sefior  Morito,  Bernardi  was  at 
once  admitted,  and  as  soon  as  the  Don  closed  his 
door,  Salter  slipped  into  the  closet  to  listen. 

11  Ah!  you  are  looking  much  better  this  morn- 
ing," said  the  Don,  as  he  scratched  a  match  and 
handed  it  to  Bernardi  to  light  his  cigar. 

"  Yes,  I  am  feeling  much  better  too.    This 

•ins  quite  like  old  times,  doesn't  it?  As  I  sit 
here  and  puff  your  fragrant  Huvanas,  I  could  al- 
most imagine  you  were  again  in  the  real  estate 
business  in  Peru,  lla!  lia!  (hat  was  a  specula- 
tion that  paid  well,  eh?" 


214  A  MYSTERIOUS  STRANGER. 

"Pietro,  you  must  be  careful  not  to  drop  a 
hint  of  those  times  to  any  one,  or  I  should  be 
ruined,"  replied  the  Don;  "I  am  in  good  society 
here,  and  I  hope  to  make  a  little  money  out  of  a 
scheme  I  have  on  hand;  but  it  is  still  quite 
uncertain  whether  I  shall  succeed,  and  my 
expenses  in  engineering  the  affair  are  fast  eating 
up  all  my  capital.  Now,  T  shall  be  happy  to 
assist  you  as  far  as  I  can,  but  it  will  be  on  condi- 
tion that  you  leave  town;  for  if  you  should  get 
tipsy  and  begin  to  talk  about  me,  I  should  lose 
everything.  Next  month,  I  may  realize  my 
hopes,  but  I  am  playing  a  risky  game,  and  I  can- 
not aiford  to  jeopardize  it.  What  do  you  want  ? 
Tell  me  how  I  can  serve  you,  and  how  much 
money  you  need,  and  if  I  can  help  you,  I  will 
gladly  do  so." 

"That  is  fair  enough,  Don  Juan — Pedro,  I 
mean— I  only  want  a  start,  and  I  shall  get  along 
without  any  difficulty;  but  to  tell  the  truth,  I 
don't  know  where  to  go.  I  could  not  return  to 
Peru — neither  could  you,  for  that  matter — and  I 
know  of  only  one  place  where  I  could  succeed 
and  be  satisfied  to  stay.  I  have  been  thinking  of 
going  to  Buenos  Ayres,  if  I  could  have  a  fair  sum 
to  start  me  in  good  style  on  arriving  there;  but 
it  is  a  long  journey,  and  I  am  in  no  haste  to  start. 
By  the  way,  where  is  your  present  senorita  ?  or 
are  you  really  married  as  you  said?  Is  she  as 
handsome  as  the  other  was  ?" 

"  Yes,  she  is  very  handsome,"  replied  the  Don, 
curtly;  "but  she  knows  nothing  about  my  his- 


A  MYSTEEIOUS  STRANGER.  215 

tory  previous  to  our  meeting,  and  I  do  not  wish 
that  she  should ;  so  let  us  leave  her  out  of  our 
discussion.  I  have  some  money  left,  though  it  is 
decreasing  rapidly,  and  I  will  assist  you  as  far  as 
possible,  if  you  will  leave  Gloster  at  once ;  for  I 
am  afraid  that  you  will  begin  drinking  to  excess 
again,  and  you  know  that  when  you  are  half 
drunk  there  is  nothing  in  the  world  you  will  not 
tell.  How  much  do  you  want  ? " 

u  Oh !  Don  Pedro,  you  need  not  fear  that  I 
shall  betray  you  ;  but  I  can't  start  off  on  a  long 
journey  so  soon  after  the  fatigue  and  hardship  J 
have  undergone  during  the  last  month.  Just  let 
me  have  three  or  four  hundred  dollars  to  enable 
me  to  live  in  good  style  for  a  week  or  two,  and 
to  get  some  better  jewelry  than  this  cheap  stuff, 
and  I  will  be  ready  to  start  for  Buenos  Ayres  as 
soon  as  you  wish." 

"  Well,  I  will  give  you  three  hundred  dollars 
now,  and  as  soon  as  you  have  spent  that,  you 
must  be  ready  to  leave  Gloster  on  your  way  out 
of  the  United  States." 

So  saying,  the  Don  stepped  to  his  dressing- 
case,  opened  and  then  closed  a  drawer,  and  said  : 

"  There  are  three  rouleaux  of  gold  pieces,  each 
containing  one  hundred  dollars.  When  that  is 
gone,  I  will  buy  your  ticket  to  Buenos  Ayres  or 
Montevideo,  as  you  prefer,  and  will  give  you  as 
much  money  as  I  can  possibly  spare  ;  you  must 
he  prepared  to  go  then." 

"All  right,  my  dear  Pedro,"  replied  Bernardi, 
rising  to  go;  "I  shall  be  ready  at  that  time.  You 


216  A  MYSTERIOUS  STRANGER. 

can  trust  my  discretion,  however,  as  long  as  1 
stay  herf,  and  no  one  shall  ever  hear  a  word 
from  me  to  your  discredit.  I  may  call  to  see  you 
occasionally? " 

"  Oh !  certainly;  come  in  the  forenoon.  By  the 
way,  Pietro,  let  me  caution  you  against  gambling 
while  you  -are  here,  for  I  have  found  that  we  are 
no  match  for  these  Northern  gamblers.  They 
will  take  every  dollar  from  you  if  you  venture  to 
stake  against  them.  You  will  surely  lose,  and 
then  you  will  want  me  to  supply  you  again;  but 
I  tell  you  frankly  I  will  not  do  it.  I  have  hardly 
money  enough  to  carry  through  my  scheme,  and 
if  you  choose  to  betray  me,  you  can  do  so,  but  it 
won't  do  you  any  good  whatever;  whereas,  if  you 
are  faithful  to  me,  I  can  spare  you  a  reasonable 
sum  to  start  you  afresh  in  Buenos  Ayres." 

"Never  fear,  Don  Pedro,  I  shall  be  mute  as  an 
oyster,"  and  so  saying,  Bernardi  took  his  leave. 

The  foregoing  conversation  had  taken  place  in 
the  Don's  dressing-room,  so  that  Salter  had  no 
difficulty  in  hearing  every  word,  even  when  the 
speakers  dropped  their  voices  to  mere  whispers; 
but  there  was  another  listener  in  the  Don's  bed- 
chamber who  was  equally  successful  in  overhear- 
ing all  that  had  been  said.  The  Donna,  having 
heard  of  the  arrival  of  this  mysterious  Pietro 
Bernardi  the  day  before,  was  anxious  to  know 
who  he  was  and  what  he  came  for.  Accordingly, 
she  placed  herself  at  the  keyhole  of  their  cham- 
ber door  leading  into  the  Don's  dressing-room, 
and  when  Pietro  had  gone,  she  entered  the  Don's 
presence. 


A  MYSTERIOUS  STRANGER.  217 

"Who  was  that  person,  Don  Pedro?"  sl.e 
asked,  with  a  sharp  tone  to  her  voice,  foreboding 
no  good  to  her  already  nervous  and  irritated 
spouse. 

"  Oh!  his  name  is  Pietro  Bernardi,  and  I  for- 
merly knew  him  in  Peru.  He  was  quite  a  fine 
young  fellow  then,  but  he  has  taken  to  gam- 
bling, drinking,  and  general  dissipation,  so  that  it 
is  very  unpleasant  to  have  him  turn  up  here  as 
an  acquaintance." 

"  Is  that  the  only  reason  why  you  dislike  to  see 
him,  Seiior  Morito? "  asked  the  Donna,  her  man- 
ner  becoming  more  clearly  inquisitive  and  hos- 
tile. "  You  are  too  anxious  to  get  rid  of  him  for 
that  to  be  the  sole  cause  of  your  annoyance  at  his 
presence." 

"Well,  my  dear  Lucia,  the  fact  is,  that  he 
knows  enough  about  me  in  the  past  to  be  a  very 
dangerous  person  to  have  around  just  now,  for 
he  might  expose  me  to  the  people  here,  and  ruin 
our  schemes  upon  the  Diamond  Company." 

"  Why  did  you  not  tell  me  about  this  ?  There 
must  be  no  secrets  which  I  do  not  share,  for  I  do 
not  intend  to  be  deserted  by  you  as  you  have  de- 
serted others  before.  No,  no,  Don  Pedro,"  she 
continued,  passionately,  "I  heard  every  word  of 
your  conversation  with  this  man,  and  you  must 
understand  that  you  cannot  treat  me  like  a  doll, 
to  be  thnnvn  ;i\vay  when  you  are  tired  of  me. 
I  am  aide  and  anxious  to  help  you  in  all  your 
plans,  but  I  must  have  your  full  confidence.  You 
know  that  I  love  you,  and  you  say  that  you  re- 

10 


218  A  MYSTERIOUS   STRANGER. 

turn  my  love,  but  sometimes  I  distrust  you  You 
deserted  a  senorita  in  Lima,  and  some  day  you 
may  try  to  desert  me;  but  I  warn  you  that  [ 
would  follow  you  to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  and  I 
could  easily  find  it  in  my  heart  to  kill  you  if  you 
played  me  false." 

As  the  Donna  uttered  these  words,  her  deter- 
mined tones  clearly  showed  that  she  would  havo 
no  hesitation  in  executing  her  threat.  The  Don 
had  no  reply  to  offer,  and  finally  the  Donna 
closed  the  conversation  by  saying: 

"  This  is  our  first  approach  to  a  quarrel,  and  I 
hope  it  will  be  the  last.  You  know  that  I  am 
fearfully  excited  by  any  suggestion  of  the  possi- 
bility of  losing  you,  and  this  man's  words  and 
sneers  have  made  me  almost  beside  myself.  But 
recollect,  I  am  not  without  friends,  for  there  are 
plenty  of  rich  men  here  who  would  be  delighted 
to  obey  my  lightest  whims  if  I  would  permit 
them,  and  if  you  should  ever  desert  me,  I  would 
tell  all  I  know  of  you,  and  invoke  their  aid  to 
bring  you  to  punishment.  Now  let  us  go  along 
together,  without  any  secrets  apart  from  each 
other  in  the  future,  and  we  shall  have  no  occa- 
sion to  quarrel  again." 

The  Donna  then  left  the  room,  and  went  out  to 
drive  with  Madame  Sevier,  leaving  the  Don 
alone.  Salter  quickly  slipped  downstairs,  but 
was  summoned  back  by  the  ringing  of  the  Don's 
bell.  On  entering  the  dressing-room,  Salter  found 
his  employer  seated  in  a  large  easy-chair,  looking 
quite  pale  and  agitated. 


PIETRO   AND   THE   DETECTIVE.  219 

"I  wish  you  would  bring  me  a  decanter  of 
brandy  and  a  glass,  George,"  said  the  Don;  "I 
don't  feel  very  well,  and  I  think  a  sip  of  cognac 
will  do  mo  good." 

Salter  obeyed  orders,  and  then  went  to  Le- 
sparre's  room  to  report  the  conversations  which 
he  had  overheard  while  concealed  in  the  closet. 
Lesparre  soon  went  into  the  Don's  room  to  talk 
over  the  plans  for  the  fete,  but  Don  Pedro  was  in 
low  spirits,  and  did  not  care  to  converse.  He  or- 
dered his  horse  to  be  brought  to  the  door,  and 
was  soon  galloping  down  the  avenue  as  a  relief 
to  his  depressed  nerves.  Lesparre  immediately 
came  to  my  office,  reported  what  Salter  had  told 
him,  and  then  went  about  his  duty  of  preparing 
the  island  to  receive  the  guests  on  the  day  of  the 
fete. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Pietro  Bernardi  and  the  Detective  become  Warm 
Friends.  — A  "T$te-d-T4te"  worth  One  Thousand 
Dollars. 

"TTTHEN  Pietro  Bernardi  left  the  Morito  resi- 
VV  dence,  he  sauntered  down  town  in  a 
leisurely  manner,  with  Newton  carefully  fol low- 
in  LC  at  a  safe  distance.  Bernardi  was  evidently 
vain  of  his  personal  appearance,  for  he  was  dis- 
satisfied with  his  ready-made  outfit,  and,  enter 


220  P1ETRO   AND  THE   DETECTIVE. 

ing  a  fashionable  tailoring  establishment,  he  was 
measured  for  a  complete  suit  of  clothes.  The 
rest  of  the  forenoon  was  spent  in  buying  shirts, 
underclothing,  trinkets,  and  toilet  articles  of  quite 
an  expensive  character.  After  a  hasty  lunch  at 
a  restaurant,  Bernard!  walked  to  the  post-office, 
where  he  met  a  man  whose  appearance  indicated 
unmistakably  the  professional  gambler.  They 
seemed  to  be  old  acquaintances,  and,  after  taking 
a  drink  together,  they  conversed  for  some  time 
in  low  tones.  Finally  they  separated,  and  Ber- 
nardi  went  to  his  lodgings.  About  six  o'clock  he 
reappeared,  and  Newton  followed  him  to  the 
post-office  again,  where  the  gambler,  who  was 
waiting  in  the  morning,  was  met  apparently  by 
appointment.  The  two  men  walked  a  short  dis- 
tance together,  and  then  disappeared  up  a  stair- 
way, which,  Newton  was  certain,  led  to  gambling 
rooms.  He  waited  outside  nearly  an  hour  unde- 
cided what  to  do,  but  at  length  he  went  upstairs 
among  a  crowd  of  young  sports,  who  seemed  to 
know  the  ways  of  the  place,  and  he  was  allowed 
to  pass  in  with'  them  unquestioned.  He  found 
Bernard!  just  rising  from  the  dinner-table,  which 
the  proprietors  of  the  gambling  house  were  in 
the  habit  of  setting  for  their  regular  patrons. 
The  faro-table  was  in  full  blast,  and  Bernard! 
was  soon  seated  at  it  with  the  air  of  an  old 
habitue.  He  was  thenceforward  so  deeply  inter- 
ested in  the  game  as  to  pay  no  attention  to  any- 
thing else,  and,  as  he  was  unusually  lucky,  his 
pile  of  gold  pieces  rapidly  increased.  Newton 


riETRO  ANT)  THE  DETECTIVE.  221 

took  a  position  at  his  elbow  and  watched  the 
game  in  silence  for  some  minutes.  At  length, 
seeing  Bernardi  win  a  large  stake,  he  said  in  a 
familiar  tone  : 

"  You  are  unusually  lucky  to-night,  and  I  see 
you  play  for  all  the  game  is  worth." 

Keeping  his  eyes  intently  fastened  upon  the 
dealer's  box,  Bernardi  replied  carelessly: 

"  Yes,  this  is  a  game  where  a  man  must  put 
down  his  money  freely  if  he  wants  to  win." 

The  next  turn  of  the  cards  was  doubly  lucky 
for  Bernardi,  and,  as  he  raked  in  his  winnings, 
he  glanced  up  at  Newton,  scanned  his  face  a  mo- 
ment, and  said: 

"  I  think  I  have  met  you  in  New  Orleans,  have 
I  not  ? " 

"  Very  likely,  for  I  have  often  been  there;  but 
I  do  not  recall  your  name,  though  your  face  is 
quite  familiar  to  me." 

"  Why,  certainly,"  continued  Bernardi,  appa- 
rently quite  pleased  at  the  idea  of  meeting  an  old 
New  Orleans  acquaintance;  "my  name  is  Pietro 
Bernardi,  and  I  have  often  seen  you  in  the  rooms 
of  French  Joe  on  Magazine  street." 

"  Oh!  yes,  I  used  to  go  there  a  good  deal,  and 
we  must  have  met  frequently.  Let  us  take  some- 
thing for  old  acquaintance'  sake." 

This  was  taking  a  short  cut  to  Bernardi's  friend- 
ship, and  as  the  two  stood  before  the  sideboard 
clicking  glasses  together,  a  stranger  would  have 
supposed  them  to  be  old  cronies,  as  indeed  Ber- 
nardi actually  believed  to  be  the  case.  Newton 


222  PIETRO  AND  THE  DETECTIVE. 

instantly  saw  that  Bernardi's  frequent  drinks  dur- 
ing the  day  and  his  later  potations  in  the  evening 
had  rendered  him  somewhat  intoxicated;  he  was 
not  drunk,  for  he  had  a  perfect  comprehension  .  £ 
his  actions,  but  he  had  drunk  enough  to  be  very 
happy,  and  he  probably  saw  in  Newton's  face  a 
hazy  resemblance  to  some  one  he  had  known 
in  New  Orleans.  He  soon  returned  to  the  faro- 
table,  and,  taking  his  seat,  asked  Newton  whether 
he  intended  to  do  any  betting. 

"No,  not  to-night,"  Newton  replied,  yawning. 
"I  am  very  tired  and  restless,  and  I  make  it  a 
rule  never  to  bet  when  my  nerves  are  shaky." 

"Well,  that  is  a  mighty  good  rule,"  said  Ber- 
nardi,  as  he  put  out  a  pile  of  gold  pieces.  "If 
you  will  only  stick  to  that  plan,  you  will  be  sure 
to  win.  I  can  always  feel  when  luck  is  with  me, 
and  if  I  could  only  make  up  my  mind  to  stop 
when  I  know  that  I  cannot  win,  I  should  be  as 
successful  as  could  be  wished;  but  sometimes  I 
get  obstinate  when  the  cards  begin  to  run  against 
me,  and  then  I  buck  against  fate  until  I  lose  all." 

Having  an  absorbing  interest  in  the  game,  Ber- 
nardi  talked  very  little  after  this,  but  about  eleven 
o'clock  he  counted  his  winnings,  and,  finding  that 
they  amounted  to  more  than  two  hundred  dol- 
lars, he  decided  to  withdraw.  In  company  with 
Newton,  therefore,  he  left  the  room,  and  enter*  ;1 
a  bar-room  below.  They  drank  and  chatted  to- 
gether a  short  time,  and  then  separated,  Bernardi 
going  to  a  well-known  house  of  ill-repute,  while 
Newton  carefully  dogged  his  footsteps  unseeu, 


PIETRO  AXD  THE  DETECTIVE.  223 

Knowing  that  Bernard!  intended  to  spend  the 
night  where  he  was,  Newton  returned  to  his  own 
lodgings.  They  had  agreed  to  meet  at  the  post- 
office  about  eleven  o'clock  next  day,  and  Newton 
knew  that  his  services  would  not  be  required  be- 
fore that  hour. 

About  eleven  o'clock  in  the  forenoon,  Newton 
and  Bernardi  met  at  the  post-office,  as  agreed, 
and,  after  a  morning  dram  together,  they  went 
to  a  restaurant  for  breakfast. 

"How  did  you  enjoy  yourself  yesterday  even- 
ing ? "  asked  Newton,  as  they  were  finishing  their 
meal. 

"Oh!  very  well  indeed.  I  met  a  young  lady 
whom  I  used  to  know  in  New  Orleans,  and  she 
was  very  lovely ;  but  I  shall  never  meet  one  like 
my  senorita.  She  was  the  most  beautiful  woman 
living ; "  and,  as  he  spoke,  Bernardi  sighed  deeply, 
and  became  moody,  silent,  and  abstracted. 

"Yes;  I  recollect  having  seen  her  with  you 
once  in  New  Orleans,"  replied  Newton,  on  a  ven- 
ture; "  is  she  dead  ?" 

"No, her!  I  wish  she  was,"  replied 

Bernardi,  savagely.  "  She  started  to  come  North 
with  me,  and  I  gave  her  everything  she  could  ask; 
but  when  I  had  won  a  large  sum  of  money  at  Nat- 
chez, she  stole  several  thousand  dollars  from  me, 
and  disappeared  with  a  Mississippi  gambler,  whom 
she  had  never  seen  but  twice.  I  didn't  care  for 
tho  money,  but  I  loved  her  passionately,  and  I 
cannot  think  of  her  without  becoming  enraged. 


224  PIETRO  AND  THE   DETECTIVE. 

Come,  let  us  go  get  some  brandy ;  I  always  have 
to  drink  when  I  think  of  her." 

While  they  were  drinking  together,  Newton 
asked  Bemardi  if  he  was  always  fortunate  in 
gaming. 

"Oh!  no,  indeed;  why,  less  than  a  week  ago  1 
had  not  a  cent  to  buy  my  breakfast,  and  I  did  not 
know  whether  to  enlist  in  the  army  or  commit 
suicide." 

"Then  your  present  success  is  marvelous,  for 
you  must  have  won,  in  all,  four  or  five  hundred 
dollars,"  said  Newton,  inquiringly. 

"  No,  I  did  not  win  it  all ;  in  fact,  I  could  not 
have  done  so,  for  I  did  not  have  a  dime  to  start 
with  ;  but  I  met  an  old  friend  here  who  gave  me 
a  few  hundreds,  and  who  will  give  me  more 
when  I  want  it." 

"That's  the  kind  of  a  friend  to  have,"  said 
Newton,  warmly;  "come,  let  us  drink  again  to 
his  health.  I  wish  I  had  met  you  before,  for  I 
would  have  been  glad  to  divide  with  you.  We 
ought  always  to  stand  by  each  other,  especially 
we  Southerners,  among  these  Yankee  gamblers." 

"Yes,  that  is  true,"  replied  Bernardi,  taking 
an  immense  drink  of  brandy ;  "  they  are  not  so 
generous  to  each  other  as  we  are  down  South. 
Now,  my  friend,  whom  I  spoke  of,  is  one  of  the 
right  sort.  He  gave  me  enough  for  a  new 
outfit,  and  has  promised  to  give  me  a  good  sum 
when  I  am  ready  to  go  South  again."  . 

"  Is  he  a  Southerner  too  ? "  asked  Newton. 

"  Oh  '  yes,"  Bernardi  replied,  "  he  is  from  Peni, 


PIETRO   AND   THE  DETECTIVE.  225 

where  I  first  met  him,  and  we  have  had  many 
a  gay  time  together.  I  used  to  keep  a  fine 
suite  of  gambling  rooms,  which  he  frequented, 
and  he  used  to  play  with  the  utmost  indifference 
to  the  results ;  he  always  seemed  equally  un- 
moved whether  he  won  or  lost." 

"I  suppose  you  must  have_been  very  warm 
friends,"  said  Newton,  "  or  he  would  not  now  be 
BO  ready  to  assist  you  ? " 

"Well,  Don  Juan  is  a  very  liberal  fellow,  I 
admit,"  answered  Bernardi ;  "but  he  might  not 
be  so  generous  were  it  not  to  his  interest  to  be 
so,"  he  continued,  with  a  knowing  wink. 

"Oh!  ho!  I  see,"  replied  Newton,  nodding  his 
head  expressively.  "Your  friend  would  not  care 
to  have  you  talk  about  his  past  history,  I  sup- 
pose ? " 

"Exactly;  he  knows  that  I  could  tell  some 
tilings  about  him  which  might  spoil  his  pleasure 
here,  and  so  he  is  anxious  to  keep  on  good  ton  us 
with  me.  However,  he  needn't  fear  me  as  long 
as  he  treats  me  decently,  for  I  do  not  wish  to 
injure  him,  and  when  I  am  ready  to  go  I  shall 
get  a  good  sum  from  him  to  start  me  in  business 
elsewhere." 

•  "Suppose  he  should  refuse  to  give  you  any- 
thing more,  or  have  you  arrested  for  blackmail- 
ing him,"  suggested  Newton. 

"I'd  like  to  see  him   try  it,"    Bernardi  ex- 

.  claimed,  with  a  volley  of  oatli<.     "I  guess  two 

could  play  at  tin-  game  of  swearing  out  warrants, 

and  wlu'ii  the  account  was  balanced,  his 

10* 


226  PIETRG  AND  THE   DETECTIVE. 

onment  would  be  twenty  times  as  long  as  mine. 
No,  no;  I  have  no  fear  that  he  will  attempt  such 
a  thing." 

"I  merely  spoke  of  it  as  a  possibility,"  said 
Newton,  "in  order  that  you  should  be  on  your 
guard.  A  man  with  wealth  and  position  might 
succeed  in  crushing  a  friendless  poor  man  in 
spite  of  the  latter's  protestations.  However,  if 
any  such  thing  should  happen,  you  can  depend 
upon  it  that  I  will  work  for  you  until  you  are 
released." 

"  That's  right,  my  friend,"  replied  Bernardi,  as 
he  called  for  another  drink  of  brandy.  "If  I 
should  suddenly  disappear  without  warning  to 
you,  don't  fail  to  search  for  me  everywhere,  and 
I  will  see  that  you  are  handsomely  rewarded.  If 
Don  Juan  should  attempt  any  treachery,  I  should 
have  him  at  my  mercy  as  soon  as  I  should  get 
free,  and,  together,  we  could  squeeze  a  large 
sum  out  of  him." 

Newton  spent  the  day  with  Bernardi,  and  they 
became  quite  inseparable.  After  driving  about 
the  city  for  an  hour  or  two,  they  attended  a  mat- 
inee performance  at  one  of  the  theatres,  and  then 
had  a  long  and  sumptuous  dinner  at  a  fashionable 
restaurant.  In  the  evening  they  went  to  th» 
gambling-rooms  where  they  had  met  the  night 
before,  and  Bernardi  was  soon  absorbed  in  the 
game  of  faro.  His  luck  still  clung  to  him,  and, 
on  leaving  the  place  at  midnight,  he  had  won 
three  hundred  dollars  more.  As  before,  Bernardi 


PIETRO  AND  THE  DETECTIVE.  221 

went  to  enjoy  the  society  of  his  New  Orleans 
charmer,  and  Newton  went  to  his  own  lodgings. 

After  Newton  had  made. his  report  to  me,  early 
the  next  morning,  I  told  him  to  continue  his  in- 
timacy with  Bernardi,  and  to  pump  him  as  thor- 
oughly as  possible  relative  to  Don  Pedro's  past 
history.  Soon  after  his '  departure  to  meet  Ber- 
nardi, Senator  Muirhead  and  Judge  Key  entered, 
and  we  discussed  the  possibility  of  doing  anything 
with  this  new  witness,  Pietro  Bernardi. 

"Would  it  not  be  possible  to  frighten  him  into 
tolling  all  he  knows  of  Don  Pedro? "  asked  the 
Senator. 

"I  hardly  think  we  could,"  I  replied.  "  In  the 
first  place,  you  have  no  charge  whatever  against 
Bernardi,  nor  any  reason  to  suppose  that  he  has 
ever  been  a  criminal  anywhere;  hence,  how  could 
we  frighten  him  ?  Moreover,  he  is  a  man  of  con- 
siderable nerve,  and  he  would  see  that,  as  against 
third  parties,  his  interests  would  be  best  served 
by  supporting,  instead  of  attacking,  Don  Pedro. 
No,  I  don't  see  anything  to  be  gained  as  yet  by 
showing  our  hands.  Our  object  is  to  recover 
possession  of  the  money  paid  to  the  Don  for 
those  bogus  diamond  fields,  and  to  do  that,  we 
must  wait  until  we  have  a  sure  case  against  him 
i'oi-  his  crimes  committed  elsewhere." 

"I  agree  with  you  wholly/'  added  Judge  Key. 
"Besides,  this  fellow,  Bernardi,  knows  nothing 
of  the  Don's  forgeries  and  frauds  except  those 
committed  in  Peru,  and  as  we  have  before  shown, 
\\v  could  makt-  MM  use  of  those  accusations  until 


228  PIETRO   AND   THE   DETECTIVE. 

we  hear  from  Peru.  Indeed,  it  is  questionable 
how  far  we  can  proceed  even  then,  for  we  have 
no  extradition  treaty  with  that  country." 

"Well,  I  do  not  mind  that  very  much,"  i 
replied,  "for  my  chief  dependence  is  upon  the 
moral  effect  upon  Don  Pedro.  I  think  that  we 
can  so  work  upon  him  as  to  obtain  his  consent  to 
go  to  Peru  voluntarily,  rather  than  to  be  detained 
here  until  a  requisition  arrives  from  England. 
He  knows  that  if  he  be  sent  to  England,  he  will 
be  transported  for  a  long  term  of  years;  whereas, 
in  Peru,  he  may  avoid  conviction  altogether,  or 
purchase  his  escape  after  conviction." 

"But  can  we  make  him  give  up  his  plunder  ?" 
asked  the  Senator,  anxiously. 

"  I  think  we  can."  said  I.  "  You  see  that  he  is 
liable  to  be  held  here  for  obtaining  money  under 
false  pretenses,  and  during  the  trial  the  money 
could  be  taken  by  attachment.  Then,  oven 
though  he  should  not  be  convicted,  the  delay 
would  enable  us  to  make  sure  of  sending  him  back 
to  London,  where  a  heavy  sentence  would  un- 
doubtedly be  given  him.  Now,  by  representing 
these  things  to  him,  we  shall  induce  him  to  hand 
over  the  money  voluntarily,  and  after  that  we 
shall  not  care  whether  he  is  taken  to  Great  Brit- 
ain or  Peru." 

"  If  that  be  the  case,  why  not  arrest  him  now 
and  get  the  advices  from  London  afterward?" 
asked  the  Senator,  who  was  very  anxious  to 
hasten  matters. 

"  Because  we  could  not  present  a  sufficient 


PIETRO   AND   THE   DETECTIVE. 

to  hold  him  under  the  preliminary  examination," 
replied  Judge  Key.  "  When  we  get  official  news 
of  the  fellow's  character  from  Peru,  we  shall 
have  a  sure  thing  against-  him,  and  then  I  shall 
feel  ready  to  act;  but  I  agree  with  Mr.  Pinkerton 
that  there  would  be  danger  in  ove'rhaste.  You 
see,  we  have  him  carefully  watched,  and  there  is 
no  probability  that  he  intends  to  make  off  until 
after  this  fete  champetre ;  therefore,  let  us  wait 
for  our  foreign  advices  as  long  as  we  can,  and  in 
case  he  prepares  to  go  before  they  arrive,  it  will 
be  time  enough  to  arrest  him  then." 

"How  about  the  Donna?"  asked  Muirhead. 
"  Do  you  propose  to  take  any  steps  against  her  ? " 

"I  don't  see  how  we  can,"  I  replied.  "With 
the  exception  of  the  sums  she  has  received  from 
Mather,  she  has  obtained  nothing  fraudulently; 
and,  as  you  may  well  suppose,  we  could  never 
get  Mather  to  testify  against  her  ;  so  I  guess  wo 
need  not  trouble  ourselves  to  interfere  with  the 
lovely  Donna  at  all." 

Our  conference  then  broke  up  with  the  under- 
standing that  we  should  assemble  again  the 
moment  any  new  facts  in  the  case  should  be 
developed.  Just  after  the  gentlemen  had  left, 
Madame  Sevier  came  in  and  reported  a  scene 
between  Mather  and  the  Donna  which  had  taken 
pin*-"  the  previous  evening. 

The  Don  had  remained  at  home  entertaining 
various  guests  until  nine  o'clock.     He  had  tl 
gone  out  with  Lesparre  and  several  other  gentle- 
men,   to  atlriid  a   baiujret    and  ball  gi\-\  n   by  a 


230  PIETRO   AND   THE  DETECTIVE. 

semi-political  club  at  one  of  the  hotels.  The 
affair  was  attended  by  many  highly  respectable 
ladies,  particularly  by  those  whose  husbands  had 
any  political  aspirations,  but  it  was  not  suffi- 
ciently exclusive  to  satisfy  the  Donna,  and  she 
remained  at  home.  The  visitors  gradually  drop- 
ped out  until  only  Mr.  Mather  remained,  and 
then  Madame  Sevier  excused  herself,  on  the  plea 
of  fatigue,  in  order  to  retire.  Instead  of  going  to 
her  room,  however,  she  hastened  to  the  library 
and  hid  herself  behind  a-  statue  standing  in  a 
deep  bay  window,  which  was  heavily  shrouded 
with  drapery  and^  curtains.  Thus  placed,  she 
was  completely  hidden  from  the  sight  of  any  one 
in  the  library,  though  she  had  a  perfect  view 
herself,  and  she  could  hear  every  word  spoken  in 
the  room. 

As  she  expected,  the  Donna  soon  entered,  fol- 
lowed by  Mr.  Mather.  The  latter  seemed  to  con- 
sider that  the  Donna  could  refuse  him  nothing, 
for  he  put  his  arms  around  her,  and  was  about  to 
kiss  her,  when  he  found  her  fan  quickly  inter- 
posed between  their  faces. 

"You  are  too  free  with  your  caresses,  Seflor 
Mather,"  she  said,  coldly,  slipping  out  of  his  em- 
brace, and  pointing  out  a  chair  to  him  at  some 
distance  from  the  sofa,  upon  which  she  seated 
herself. 

Poor  Mather  was  quite  astonished,  for,  having 
kissed  her  several  times  before,  he  supposed  that 
he  could  continue  doing  so  whenever  he  wished; 
but  the  Donna  was  an  expert  fisher  of  men,  and 


PIETRO  AND  THE  DETECTIVE.  231 

she  recognized  the  force  of  that  old  proverb. 
"  Familiarity  breeds  contempt;"  besides,  she 
wanted  some  more  money,  and  she  knew  that 
her  elderly  lover  would  gladly  purchase  her  kisses 
at  a  round  price.  The  folly  of  giving  them  away 
gratis  could  not  be  indulged  in,  therefore,  and 
si  10  kept  her  sighing  swain  at  a  distance  for  a 
little  time.  She  was  too  politic  to  give  even  the 
slightest  hint  of  her  object  in  the  conversation 
which  ensued,  but  she  used  every  possible  allure- 
ment to  fascinate  her  victim,  while  she  would 
allow  him  no  liberties  nor  caresses.  Mather 
could  not  fail  to  recollect  the  affectionate  manner 
in  which  she  had  received  his  previous  gifts,  and 
ho  therefore  decided  to  try  the  same  policy  again. 

"  I  saw  a  beautiful  camel's  hair  shawl  to-day," 
h<> -said,  "and  I  was  going  to  get  it  for  you,  my 
<1  \ir  Lucia,  but  I  did  not  know  whether  it  would 
suit  you,  and  so  I  determined  to  let  you  select 
your  own  gift.  The  shawl  was  worth  one  thou- 
s.iixl  dollars,  and  I  made  up  my  mind  to  give  you 
the  amount  that  I  should  have  paid  for  it,  and 
yon  could  then  exercise  your  own  taste." 

"Oh!  my  dear  Henry,"  she  exclaimed,  "how 
thoughtful  you  are!  How  can  I  sufficiently 
thank  you?"  and  she  made  room  for  him  on  the 
sofa,  as  he  advanced  holding  out  a  roll  of  bills. 

"  You  know  how  you  can  please  me  best,"  he 
an-\voro<l,  tondorly,  bending  over  ho r. 

"Oh!  really,  II<-nry,  you  mustn't,"  she  pro- 
o<l,  feebly,  as  he  showered  kisses  on  her  cheek? 
and  lips;   "suppoM4  any  olio  should  COIPO  in!" 


232  DIAMOND  CUTTING  DIAMOND. 

As  she  spoke,  a  carriage  stopped  in  front  of  th« 
house,  and  their  affectionate  tete-a-tete  was  in- 
terrupted by  the  unexpected  return  of  Lesparre, 
who,  having  left  his  watch  at  home,  had  returned 
to  get  it.  He  did  not  enter  the  parlor  nor  the 
library,  but  the  Donna  seemed  veiy  much  agi- 
tated at  the  mere  possibility  of  being  detected  in 
a  compromising  situation,  and  so  Mather  took 
his  departure.  The  coolness  with  which  she 
counted  the  money,  after  he  had  gone,  was  in 
striking  contrast  with  her  simulated  embarrass- 
ment while  he  was  present,  and  it  was  plain 
that,  having  obtained  the  gift,  she  was  quite  glad 
to  get  rid  of  the  giver.  She  went  immediately 
to  her  room,  and  Madame  Sevier  then  retired 
also. 


CHAPTER  VIH. 

Don  Pedro  anxious  for  Pietro  BemardPs  Absence. — 
"Coppering  the  Jack  and  Playing  the  Ace  and 
Queen  open" — A  Gambler  that  could  not  be  Bought. 
— Splendid  Winnings. — Diamond  cutting  Diamond. 
— Bernardi  quieted,  and  he  subsequently  (It-parts 
richer  by  five  thousand  dollars. 

AT  eleven  o'clock,  Newton  and  Bernard!  again 
met  at  the  post-office,  and  the  latter  re- 
marked that  he  intended  making  a  short  call 
upon  his  wealthy  friend. 

"Come  along  with  me,"  he  said,  "and  you  will 


DIAMOND   CUTTING  DIAMOND.  233 

see  what  a  fine  place  he  has.  I  shall  not  remain 
very  long,  and  if  you  will  wait  for  me  outside, 
we  can  pass  the  day  together.  I  hate  to  go 
around  alone  in  a  strange  city." 

Accordingly  they  strolled  along  until  they 
reached  Don  Pedro's  house,  and  Newton  agreed 
to  remain  near  at  hand  until  Bernard!  should 
finish  his  call.  Salter  was  on  the  lookout,  and 
when  Bernard!  was  admitted,  he  led  the  way  to 
Don  Pedro's  room.  The  moment  the  door  closed 
on  Bernardi,  Salter  took  his  place  at  the  auger- 
holes  in  the  adjoining  closet,  and  overheard  the 
entire  conversation,  as  before. 

"Well,  Pietro,  have  you  decided  how  soon  you 
will  be  ready  to  leave  town?"  asked  the  Don. 
"From  your  clothes,  jewelry,  and  other  pur- 
chases you  have  made,  you  must  have  used  up 
most  of  the  money  I  gave  you,  and,  if  so,  your 
departure  must  take  place  soon;  for  I  warn  you 
again,  I  shall  give  you  nothing  more  until  you 
depart  for  some  distant  city!" 

"Well,  to  tell  the  truth,"  replied  Bernardi,  in 
an  independent,  indifferent  manner,  "I  am  in  no 
hurry  to  go  away  just  yet.  You  see,  I  have 
been  very  lucky  since  I've  been  here,  and  if  I 
keep  on,  I  guess  I  can  repay  you  the  amount 
you  kindly  loaned  me." 

"Do  you  mean  that  you  have  been  gambling 
again? "  asked  the  Don,  in  a  vexed  tone. 

"Yes,  and  I  have  won  constantly,  so  that  I 
don't  like  to  change  my  luck  by  making  a  move 
right  away.  You  know  gamblers  are  supersti 


234  DIAMOND  CUTTING  DIAMOND. 

tious,  and  I  have  a  strong  feeling  that  it  w  ill  be 
for  my  interest  to  remain  here  for  some  time 
yet." 

"But  you  promised  to  go  as  soon  as  you  felt 
able  to  travel,"  said  the  Don. 

"  Well,  there  is  no  hurry.  I  haven't  done  you 
any  harm  yet,  and  I  don't  mean  to.  Why  are 
you  so  anxious  to  get  rid  of  me? " 

Of  course,  Don  Pedro's  principal  fear  was  that 
Bernardi  would  learn  how  large  a  sum  the  former 
had  received  for  his  bogus  mines,  and  that  he 
would  not  be  satisfied  to  go  unless  he  got  a  large 
slice  of  the  plunder.  It  would  not  do,  however, 
to  excite  his  suspicions  by  appearing  too  desirous 
of  sending  him  away,  so  the  Don  changed  his 
tone,  and  said: 

"  Oh  !  I'm  sure  I  don't  want  to  get  rid  of  you 
as  long  as  you  keep  sober  and  don't  talk  about 
me;  but  you  know  how  it  is,  Pietro;  if  you  should 
get  drunk  and  talk  about  me,  you  would  tell 
everything  you  know,  and  the  result  would  be 
that  I  should  have  to  flee  the  town  without  ac- 
complishing my  object.  In  that  case,  I  should 
lose  not  only  all  that  I  hoped  to  make,  but  also 
all  the  immense  outlay  I  have  made  in  preparing 
my  scheme.  If  you  want  to  go  to  New  Orleans 
again,  I  will  start  you  in  a  faro-bank  there,  and 
will  come  down  there  next  winter  to  play  with 
you;  but  I  confess  I  should  feel  easier  if  you  were 
out  of  Gloster  for  the  present." 

"Well,  I  will  be  ready  to  go  in  a  few  days,  il 
you  insist  upon  it.,  but  I  don't  see  the  necessity 


DIAMOND  CUTTING  DIAMOND.  235 

of  such  haste.  However,  I  will  come  in  again 
and  talk  about  it  before  the  end  of  the  week.  I 
want  to  win  a  little  more  before  I  go." 

"How  have  you  been  betting ?"  asked  Morito, 
in  a  conciliatory  manner. 

"I  have  been  'coppering'  the  jack  and  play- 
ing the  ace  and  queen  '  open,'*  and  I  have  won 
constantly.  I  left  them  a  few  times  and  played 
other  cards,  but  I  always  lost  when  I  did  so. 
Now  I  am  going  to  stick  to  that  scheme. righl 
along." 

"Where  are  you  playing?"  asked  the  Don, 
carelessly. 

"I  generally  go  to  Dave  Carter's,  in  Mahogany 
Block,  for  I  think  he  deals  a  'square'  game." 

"Yes,  I  suppose  so,"  said  Morito;  "as  much  so 
as  any  of  them  ;  but  they  are  all  sharpers  here, 
and  they  may  have  been  letting  you  win  on  pur- 
pose, thinking  that  you  had  a  large  sum  in  re- 
serve which  they  hope  to  catch  hereafter.  If 
you  will  take  my  advice,  you  will  stop  while  you 
are  ahead.  You  know,  from  your  own  experi- 
ence as  a  banker,  that  the  'bank'  always  wins 
in  the  end." 

"Well,  I  shall  try  a  few  more  games,  and  then 
I  shall  be  ready  to  talk  with  you  about  goin^ 
South.  I  want  to  ran  my  luck  while  it  is  good," 
and  so  saying,  Bernardi  rose  to  go. 

*  These  are  technical  terms  in  playing  faro.  The   player 

meant   that  he  was  in  the  habit  of  making  one  bet   that   the 

jack  would  foe  a  lo*intr  card  all  the  time,  and  another  thai 
we  ace  anil  quivn  would  be  winning  cards 


236  DIAMOND  CUTTING  DIAMOND. 

"All  right,  Pietro,"  said  Don  Pedro,  "be  care- 
ful not  to  get  swindled,  and  to  keep  silent  about 
me." 

The  moment  Bernardi  was  gone,  the  Don  rang 
his  bell  violently,  and  sent  for  Monsieur  Lesparre. 
When  the  latter  entered  the  Don's  room,  hr 
found  his  employer  in  a  more  disturbed  and  ex 
cited  condition  than  he  had  ever  before  indulged 
in,  and  evidently  he  meant  mischief  to  some 
one. 

"Lesparre,  that  fellow  Bernardi,  of  whom  1 
spoke  to  you  the  other  day,  has  been  here 
again,"  burst  out  the  Don.  "  I  gave  him  a  con- 
siderable sum  of  money  to  set  him  on  his  feet 
again,  for  old  acquaintance'  sake,  expecting  that 
he  would  return  to  his  friends  in  the  South,  or, 
at  least,  behave  like  a  decent  gentleman  ;  but  he 
has  returned  to  his  old  habits  of  gambling  and 
drinking,  so  that,  at  any  moment,  he  may  come 
here  and  mortify  me  before  a  party  of  my 
guests,  or,  worse  still,  claim  me  as  his  friend 
when  arraigned  in  a  police  court  for  drunken- 
ness, etcetera.  He  promised  to  leave  town  as 
soon  as  the  money  I  gave  him  was  gone,  and  I 
was  to  give  him  then  a  respectable  sum  to  start 
him  in  business  elsewhere;  but  he  has  won' con- 
siderably at  the  faro-table,  and  he  is  now  inde- 
pendent of  me,  and  therefore  declines  to  keep  his 
promise  until  he  is  ready." 

"  Would  he  go,  do  you  think,  if  he  should  lose 
all  he  has  ? "  asked  Lesparre. 

" Oh !  yes,  indeed ;  he  would  be  forced  to  yield 


DIAMOND  CUTTING  DIAMOND.  237 

to  my  terms  then,  and  I  should  give  hin .  j  .othing 
until  he  started." 

"  How  would  it  do  to  suggest  to  the  proprietor 
of  the  gambling  rooms  that  it  would  be  doubly 
for  his  interest  to  fleece  this  man?  I  think  it 
could  easily  be  done,  if  the  '  bank  '  were  so  dis- 
posed." 

"I  have  no  doubt  of  it,  especially  as  I  know 
the  way  he  intends  to  bet  all  the  time,"  replied 
t  ho  Don,  eagerly;  "he  'coppers'  the  jack  and  plays 
the  ace  and  queen  'open.'  It  must  be  a  pretty 
poor  dealer  who  cannot  '  stack  '  those  cards,  with 
such  a  stake  in  view.  Suppose  you  drop  a  hint 
(o  Dave  Carter,  or  to  the  dealer  to-night,  bei  > 
Bcmardi  goes  there." 

"  I  will  go  down  at  once,"  replied  Lespan-o, 
"and  I  will  promise  him  three  hundred  dollars 
additional  if  he  wins  all  that  Bernardi  has;  that 
is  not  too  much,  is  it? " 

"No,  indeed!"  exclaimed  the  Don;  "I  would 
gladly  give  five  hundred,  if  necessary." 

Lesparre  arrived  at  the  gambling  rooms  about 
noon,  and  at  that  early  hour  no  one  was  present 
except  the  proprietor  and  one  of  the  dealers. 
Lesparre  obtained  an  interview  with  the  proprie- 
tor alone,  and  then  asked  him  if  he  would  like  to 
make  a  thousand  dollars. 

"Oh!  yes,"  he  replied,  in  an  indifferent  way, 
"I  should  have  no  objection,  although  it  would 
not  be  such  a  novelty  that  I  need  take  a  groat 
deal  of  trouble  about  it.  The  k  bank'  often  wiiia 
more  than  that  in  a  single  evening.'' 


238  DIAMOND  CUTTING  DIAMOMX 

"Well,  there  is  a  South  American  who  has 
been  playing  here  recently,  against  whom  I  have 
a  bitter  grudge.  He  has  about  six  hundred  dol- 
lars now,  most  of  which  he  has  won  here.  He 
has  one  regular  system  of  playing — '  coppering ' 
the  ja.ck  and  playing  the  ace  and  queen  to  win— 
and  you  can  easily  fix  those  cards  so  as  to  clean 
him  out  in  one  evening.  The  moment  you  have 
done  that,  I  will  give  you  five  hundred  dollars 
more." 

The  gambler  fixed  a  keen  look  upon  Lesparro 
for  a  moment,  and  then  replied  that  he  was  no 
gudgeon  to  bite  such  a  stale  bait  as  that.  He 
added  that  they  played  a  "  square  "  game,  and  if  a 
man  won,  he  was  welcome  to  his  winnings;  but 
that  no  trickery  would  be  resorted  to  against  any 
patron  of  the  house.  Lesparre  was  obliged  to 
withdraw,  feeling  that  he  had  made  a  mistake  in 
proposing  the  plan  so  openly. 

That  evening,  after  a  day  spent  in  playing  bil- 
liards and  driving  about,  Bernardi  and  Newton 
again  entered  the  gambling  saloon.  Bernardi  did 
not  make  any  bets  for  some  time,  but  stood 
watching  the  game  in  silence,  apparently  guess- 
ing as  to  the  winning  and  losing  cards  to  deter- 
mine whether  he  was  in  luck.  Finally  he  bet 
fifty  dollars  on  the  ace  and  lost;  this  was  followed 
by  one  hundred  dollars  on  the  same  card,  which 
again  lost.  He  waited  a  few  deals  and  then  placed 
two  hundred  dollars  on  the  queen  to  win,  and  one 
hundred  dollars  on  the  jack  to  lose.  The  cards 
fell  as  he  had  hoped,  and  gathering  in  his  stakes 


DIAMOND  CUTTING  DIAMOND.  239 

and  winnings,  he  began  betting  in  earnest.  His 
luck  was  wonderful,  and  as  all  his  bets  were  for 
fifty  dollars  or  more,  he  soon  had  quite  a  large 
sum.  Presently  he  stopped  betting,  and  went  to 
the  bar  with  Newton.  They  talked  and  drank 
together  for  some  minutes,  but  Bernard}  was  not 
ready  to  leave  just  then.  His  winnings  wore  al- 
ready quite  sufficient  to  cause  the  proprietor  to 
regard  him  with  a  considerable  degree  of  interest, 
and  when  he  returned  to  the  faro-table,  a  seat 
was  given  him  at  once.  He  made  no  bets  for 
some  minutes,  but  at  length  he  asked: 

"  What  is  your  limit  to-night  ? " 

"  Five  hundred  dollars,"  was  the  reply. 

Bernardi  then  placed  four  hundred  dollars  on 
the  nine  spot,  and,  a  moment  later,  he  was  again 
a  winner.  He  now  seemed  satisfied,  for  he  pre- 
sented his  "chips"  for  payment,  and  received 
cash  therefor.  The  proprietor  then  invited  Ber- 
nardi and  Newton  to  drink  with  him,  and,  while 
standing  at  the  sideboard,  the  proprietor  asked 
Bernardi  whether  he  had  many  acquaintances  in 
the  city. 

"No,"  replied  Bernardi,  "I  have  very  few; 
why  do  you  ask  ? " 

"  Because  one  of  them  is  your  enemy,  or  else 
he  was  trying  to  play  a  trick  on  the  '  bank '  this 
morning,"  continued  the  proprietor,  watching 
Bernardi  narrowly.  "He  came  in  about  noon, 
:>nd  wanted  the  cards  put  up  so  that  you  should 
be  cleaned  out  of  all  your  money." 


240  DIAMOND  CUTTING  DIAMOND. 

'  The  devil  you  say ! "  ejaculated  Bernard! ; 
"  why  did  he  want  to  clean  me  out  ? " 

"  That  I  can't  say  ;  but  he  told  me  that  he  had 
a  bitter  grudge  against  you,  and  that  he  would 
give  a  great  deal  to  injure  you." 

"I  do  -not  know  any  one  here  who  could  say 
that  of  me,"  replied  Bernardi,  thoughtfully. 
"There  is  only  one  man  in  the  city  who  knows 
me  intimately,  and  I  do  not  see  why  he  should 
wish  me  to  lose,  even  if  he  did  hate  me.  Was  he 
a  South  American,  like  myself  ? " 

"No;  he  might  have  been  a  foreigner,  but  he 
was  not  dark-complexioned." 

"Well,  I  cannot  imagine  who  it  could  have 
been,"  mused  Bernardi ;  "and  I  guess  I  need  not 
be  afraid  pf  him,  if  he  goes  to  work  in  that  round- 
about way.  However,  I  am  obliged  to  you  for 
the  information,  and  I  will  take  care  that  he  does 
not  drop  on  me  unexpectedly.  So-long." 

As  Bernardi  walked  down  the  street  with  New- 
ton, he  was  evidently  deeply  abstracted,  for  he 
muttered  to  himself  in  Spanish,  and  swore  at  in- 
tervals in  quite  an  excited  manner.  Finally,  he 
said  aloud: 

"I  don't  know  what  to  think  about  this  story 
It  may  be  that  this  gambler  made  it  up  to  shake 
my  nerves,  or  to  cover  some  plot  against  me;  but 
I  have  a  sort  of  feeling  that  Don  Juan  is  at  the 
bottom  of  it.  I  don't  fear  him  one  bit,  but  I  want 
to  solve  the  mystery,  and  if  he  has  been  plotting 
against  me,  I  will  have  my  revenge  upon  him. 
But,  no;  I  can't  see  what  he  could  gain  by  it,  and 


DIAMOND   CUTTING  DIAMOND.  241 

I  think,  perhaps,  this  gang  despair  of  bi  eaking 
my  luck,  and  are  planning  to  rob  me  by  force." 

"  That  seems  reasonable/'  replied  Newton,  "for 
then  you  would  attribute  the  act  to  this  unknown 
enemy,  and  they  would  escape  suspicion.  Still," 
he  continued,  anxious  to  lead  the  conversation 
back  to  Don  Pedro  as  a  subject,  "  your  first  sup- 
position may  be  the  correct  one,  and  your  pre- 
tended friend  may  be  scheming  to  ruin  you." 

' '  But  why  should  he  want  me  to  lose  money? " 
persisted  Bernardi.  "He  knows  that  I  should 
come  to  him  for  more,  and  that  he  would  be 
obliged  to  give  it  to  me." 

"  Perhaps  he  would  like  to  get  rid  of  your  pres- 
ence," cautiously  suggested  Newton;  "and  if  you 
were  penniless,  he  could  insist  upon  your  de- 
parture as  a  condition  upon  which  alone  he  would 
give  you  money." 

"  Caramba!  I  believe  you  are  right,  my  friend," 
Bernardi  exclaimed,  furiously;  "and  if  I  find  that 
it  is  so,  I  will  make  Don  Juan,  or  Don  Pedro,  as 
he  carls  himself  now,  regret  the  day  he  played  me 
false." 

"  Don't  be  over-hasty,"  counseled  Newton,  "for 
the  whole  story  may  be  a  gambler's  lie  after  all.1' 

"Oh!  I  will  investigate  it  carefully,"  an- 
swered Bernardi,  "and,  when  I  am  satisfied 
about  the  truth  of  the  matter,  I  will  consult  with 
you  as  to  the  best  course  to  pursue.  It  is  a  good 
thing  to  have  a  friend  to  advise  with,  especially 
among  such  a  gang  of  thieves  as  seem  to  hang 
n 


24:2  DIAMOND  CUTTING  DIAMOND. 

'round  these  rooms.  Meet  me  to-morrow,  as 
usual,  and  I  will  go  see  my  friend  again." 

The  men  then  separated,  and  went  to  their  re- 
spective lodgings  for  the  night. 

In  the  morning  they  met,  took  breakfast 
together,  and  afterwards  sauntered  down  to  visit 
Don  Pedro.  As  before,  Bernardi  was  conducted 
straight  to  the  Don's  room,  and  Salter  again  sta- 
tioned himself  in  the  closet  to  listen. 

"  So  you  are  still  successful  ? "  was  the  first  re- 
mark he  heard. 

"Yes,  moderately  so,"  replied  Bernardi;  "but 
it  is  strange  how  cards  run  sometimes." 

"  Well,  you  ought  not  to  be  astonished  at  any- 
thing after  your  long  experience  in  gambling." 

"Oh!  I'm  never  astonished,"  said  Bernardi, 
who  had  drunk  a  good  deal  of  brandy  before  and 
after  breakfast;  "but  I  was  thinking  how  lucky 
it  was  that  I  changed  my  mind  last  night  about 
playing  those  three  cards — the  jack,  ace,  and 
queen." 

"  How  so  ? "  asked  Morito. 

"Well,  if  I  had  played  the  jack  'coppered,' 
and  the  ace  and  queen  '  open,'  last  night,  all  the 
evening,  I  should  have  been  entirely  cleaned  out; 
what  do  you  think  of  that  ? " 

"  I  think  you  were  very  lucky  in  having  played 
elsewhere,"  replied  the  Don;  "but  what's  the 
matter  with  you  ?  What  makes  you  look  at  me 
so  strangely  ? " 

"I  want  to  find  out  whether  it  was  you  \v ho 
sent  a  man  to  tell  Dave  Carter,  the  gambler,  how 


DIAMOND   CUTTING  DIAMOND.  '243 

I  was  playing,  and  to  ask  him  to  fix  the  cards  so 
that  I  should  lose  all  I  had." 

Bernardi's  voice  was  husky  with  liquor  and 
anger,  and  he  had  evidently  worked  himself  up 
into  a  great  rage ;  but,  in  spite  of  his  partial  in- 
toxication, he  was  very  determined,  and  his  tones 
foreboded  no  good-will  to  the  Don.  In  a  contest 
of  words,  however,  he  was  no  match  for  his  op- 
ponent, and  Don  Pedro  instantly  took  the  most 
effectual  method  for  quieting  his  visitor's  sus- 
picions. 

"My  dear  Pietro,"  he  began,  contemptuously, 
"I  gave  you  credit  for  more  common-sense  than 
you  seem  disposed  to  claim  for  yourself.  Why 
should  I  want  you  to  lose  ?  On  the  contrary,  I 
would  like  to  see  you  win  enough  to  start  in 
business  for  yourself,  and  repay  me  what  I  have 
loaned  you,  for  I  assure  you  that  I  much  prefer 
to  have  you  spend  your  money  than  mine.  I 
have  none  too  much  for  my  own  wants,  and  if 
you  could  repay  me,  I  should  be  delighted.  What 
is  the  reason  for  your  question  ? " 

Bernardi  did  not  reply  for  two  or  three 
minutes  ;  he  was  evidently  keenly  scrutinizing 
Don  Pedro's  face  ;  but  at  length  he  said  : 

"  Well,  it's  all  right  now,  and  I  suppose  I  was 
wrong  to  suspect  you;  but  the  proprietor  of  the 
place  where  I  gamble  told  me  that  some  one  had 
been  trying  to  get  him  to  play  a  trick  on  mo, 
and  I  determined  to  find  out  who  it  was." 

"Well,  Pietro,  I  don't  think  you  would  have 
thought  of  suspecting  me  if  your  head  had  not 


DIAMOND   CUTTING  DIAMOND. 

been  fuddled  with  liquor.  Why  can't  you  stop 
drinking  for  a  month  or  two? " 

"What  do  you  care  about  my  drinking?'" 
asked  Bernardi,  in  a  half -cowed  manner. 

"  Because  Pietro  drunk  is  a  very  different  fel- 
low from  Pietro  sober;  and  some  day  you  will 
let  out  some  damaging  reports  about  me,  and 
then  all  hope  of  making  anything  here  will  be 
destroyed.  If  I  could  feel  sure  that  you  would 
remain  sober,  I  would  gladly  start  you  in  a  good 
'bank'  here." 

Of  course,  Don  Pedro  had  no  intention  of  doing 
anything  of  the  kind,  but  he  saw  that  Bernardi 
was  in  a  dangerous  mood,  and  that  he  must 
handle  him  very  skillfully  if  he  wished  to  get 
him  to  leave  the  city.  The  Don  knew  that  to 
urge  him  to  leave  would  be  the  surest  way  to 
make  him  stay,  but  that,  if  left  to  follow  his 
own  inclinations,  he  would  be  anxious  to  go 
South,  where  the  climate  and  people  were  more 
congenial  to  him.  Hence,  Don  Pedro  boldly 
took  the  ground  that  he  was  quite  willing  for 
Bernardi  to  stay  if  he  would  only  keep  sober, 
and  Bernardi  quickly  fell  into  the  trap. 

" I  don't  want  to  start  a  'bank '  in  this  place," 
he  said,  "and  I  can't  get  along  in  this  climate 
without  drinking.  I  have  been  moderately  suc- 
cessful here,  and  I  am  in  no  hurry  to  leave,  but  I 
should  like  to  go  back  to  New  Orleans,  if  I  could 
lit  up  a  good  place  there,  and  deal  a  first-class 
game." 

"How  much  would  you  need  for  that  pur- 


DIAMOND  CUTTING  DIAMOND.  245 

pose  ? "  asked  the  Don.  "  If  I  can  let  you  have  it, 
I  will  do  so,  and  you  can  stay  here  or  go  back  to 
New  Orleans,  as  you  may  prefer;  only  I  shall 
make  one  condition:  that  you  promise  faithfully 
to  drink  nothing  but  wine  while  you  are  in  this 
city,  until  I  get  ready  to  leave.  Will  three  thou- 
sand dollars  be  enough? " 

"  Hardly;  I  have  won  some  money  here,  to  be 
sure,  but  it  will  cost  a  good  deal  to  spread  a  hand- 
some layout  in  New  Orleans — as  for  this  place, 
there  are  not  enough  gentlemen  gamesters  here; 
the  gamblers  are  all  trying  to  live  on  each  other. 
If  you  will  make  it  five  thousand,  I  will  start  for 
New  Orleans  day  after  to-morrow." 

"That  is  more  than  I  ought  to  pay  out  in  my 
present  circumstances,"  said  the  Don,  thought- 
fully; "but  I  guess  I  can  run  the  establishment 
on  credit  for  about  a  month,  and  that  will  help 
me  out;  so  if  you  will  go  to-morrow,  I  will  give 
you  five  thousand  when  you  start." 

"  Done! "  replied  Bernardi,  much  gratified  at 
having  obtained  so  large  a  sum.  "  I  have  noth- 
ing to  do  except  to  get  a  young  lady  friend  to 
go  with  me,  and  she  won't  need  a  great  while  to 
make  her  preparations.  So  you  can  have  the 
money  ready  to-morrow? " 

"It  shall  be  awaiting  you  any  time  that  you 
call  for  it,"  answered  Morito,  and  Bernardi  then 
took  hitj  departure. 

On  joining  Newton,  Bernardi  was  in  high 
spirits,  and  he  talked  very  freely  of  his  intended 
plans. 


DIAMOND   CUTTING  DIAMOND. 

"My  friend  convinced  me  that  he  had  nothing 
to  do  with  the  trick  which  the  gambler  said  some 
one  tried  to  play  upon  me,  and  as  a  proof  of  hia 
regard,  he  is  going  to  give  me  a  start  in  New  Oi  - 
leans.  I  shall  leave  here  to-morrow,  and  if  you 
would  like  to  go  in  with  me,  we  can  make  a  pile 
of  money  there." 

"I  can't  very  well  leave  here  for  some  time 
yet,"  said  Newton,  "for  I  have  a  large  sum 
staked  in  bets  on  the  races  next  month,  and  I 
shall  have  no  money  until  they  take  place.  I 
have  a  sure  thing  on  a  new  horse,  and  I  have  got 
such  large  odds  that  I  have  put  up  every  dollar  I 
could  reach.  I  shall  clear  about  ten  thousand 
dollars  sure,  and  then  if  you  are  so  disposed,  I 
will  join  you  in  New  Orleans." 

"All  right,  we'll  do  it;  but  then,  you  may  lose 
everything  instead  of  winning.  I  don't  care  to 
bet  on  races,  myself;  there  are  too  many  chances 
to  deal  from  the  bottom." 

"There  is  no  danger  in  this  case,  so  you  must 
let  me  know  where  I  can  find  you,  and  within  a 
month  I  will  join  you  in  the  Crescent  City." 

Bernardi  then  went  to  see  his  fair  and  frail 
charmer,  to  obtain  her  company  on  his  Southern 
trip,  and  Newton  came  to  my  room  to  report.  I 
instructed  him  to  stay  with  Bernardi  as  much  a>: 
possible  while  the  latter  remained  in  the  city, 
and  to  be  sure  to  obtain  his  address  in  New  Or- 
leans. I  then  called  upon  Senator  Muirhead  and 
informed  him  of  the  proposed  departure  of  Ber- 
nardi. The  Senator  was  very  anxious  to  detain 


DIAMOND  CUTTING  DIAMOND.  247 

him  in  some  way,  in  order  to  get  his  test  imony, 
in  case  we  should  fail  to  hear  from  England  or 
Peru  in  time;  but  I  was  unable  to  suggest  any 
plan  for  holding  this  man  without  exposing  our 
whole  connection  with  the  case.  Bernard!  vVcis 
evidently  ready  to  act  in  good  faith  with  Don 
Pedro,  and  any  endeavor  to  retard  his  departure 
would  be  regarded  by  him  as  coming  from  the 
gang  of  gamblers  from  whom  he  had  won  money. 
There  was  no  doubt  but  that  he  would  keep  up  a 
correspondence  with  Newton,  and  we  should  thus 
know  where  to  find  him  in  case  his  presence 
should  be  needed.  We  decided,  therefore,  to  let 
him  go  as  he  intended. 

Early  in  the  evening,  Bernard!  and  Newton 
went  as  usual  to  the  gaming-rooms.  There  they 
met  a  stranger,  who  seemed  to  be  a  Spaniard  or 
Cuban.  Bernard!  addressed  him  in  Spanish,  and 
after  some  conversation,  they  sat  down  to  play. 
By  some  freak  of  luck,  Bernardi  continually  won 
his  small  bets,  but  whenever  he  put  out  a  large 
amount,  he  lost.  The  Cuban  stranger  had  the 
same  experience,  and  at  length  Bernardi  rose  in 
disgust  and  left  the  rooms  with  Newton,  having 
lost  about  two  hundred  dollars. 

"  Those  fellows  have  got  some  kind  of  a  '  skin- 
game'  at  work,"  he  said,  "and  they  tried  to  beat 
me  and  that  Cuban  out  of  all  our  cash.  I  gave 
him  a  hint  in  Spanish  before  I  came  away,  and  I 
hope  he  will  stop  before  they  fleece  him.  Now 
let  us  go  to  the  theatre." 

They  attended  one  of  tho  theatres,   and  then 


248  DIAMOND  CUTTING  DIAMOND. 

had  a  glorious  supper  at  Bernardi's  expense  after 
the  performance  was  over.  About  midnight, 
they  parted  with  mutual  good  wishes,  and  Ber- 
nardi  promised  to  write  to  Newton  as  soon  as  ho 
should  reach  New  Orleans. 

The  next  morning  Bernardi  called  upon  Don 
Pedro  and  received  the  promised  amount  of  five 
thousand  dollars,  assuring  him  that  he  should 
leave  the  city  that  afternoon.  As  soon  as  he  left 
the  house,  the  Don  asked  Lesparre  to  keep  a 
watch  upon  Bernardi  to  make  sure  of  his  leaving 
according  to  promise.  When  Lesparre  returned 
about  three  o'clock,  and  reported  that  Bernardi 
was  then  actually  on  his  way  to  Cairo,  accompa- 
nied by  a  young  lady,  the  Don  was  overjoyed, 
and  he  expressed  himself  greatly  relieved  thereby. 

"  Now  we  can  take  more  interest  in  our  fete 
champetre,  and  we  will  make  it  the  most  delight- 
ful affair  ever  known  in  this  country,"  he  said, 
exultantly.  "  When  it  is  over,  my  dear  Le- 
sparre,  we  will  make  a  tour  of  the  fashionable 
watei -ing-places,  and  enjoy  life  to  the  full." 


"BOBBING  PETER  TO  PAY  PAUL."        249 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Important  Information  from  the  Peruvian  Govern 
ment. — Arrival  in  Gloster  of  the  Peruvian  Minixtt-r 
and  Consul. — In  Consultation. — "Robbing  J*<  f<  •/• 
to  pay  Paul."— Mr.  Pinkertorfs  card  is  presented. — • 
Juan  Sanchez,  I  arrest  ydu,  and  you  are  my  Pris- 
oner.— Mr.  Pinkerton  not  "For  Sale." — A  Dra- 
matic Scene. — The  Bubble  burst. 

SEVERAL  days  now  sped  by  with  no  fresh  de- 
velopments, and  Don  Pedro  was  almost  con- 
stantly engaged  in  his  preparations  for  the  fete 
champetre.  As  the  day  approached,  society  was 
stirred  to  its  very  center,  and  nothing  was  spoken 
of  save  this  grand  event  of  the  season. 

But  four  days  remained  before  the  fete,  when  I 
was  delighted  by  receiving  a  letter  from  the  Sec- 
retary of  State  for  Peru,  giving  full  particulars 
of  the  forgeries  and  frauds  committed  by  Don 
Juan  Sanchez  in  that  country,  and  enclosing  a 
fine  portrait  of  the  man.  One  glance  at  the  pio- 
ture  was  sufficient  to  assure  me  of  the  identity 
of  Don  Pedro  P.  L.  de  Morito  with  Don  Juan 
Sanchez,  and  I  now  felt  ready  to  act.  The  letter 
informed  me  that  a  Peruvian  official  would  be 
dispatched  to  Gloster  at  once,  to  obtain  the  arrest 
of  Don  Pedro,  though  there  were  a  great  many 
difficulties  in  the  way,  owing  to  the  lack  of  an 
extradition  treaty.  Every  effort  would  be  ma<li>, 
however,  to  bring  him  to  justice,  and  the  Pom 
11* 


ii50         "ROBBING  PETER  TO  PAY  PAUL." 

vian  Minister  at  Washington  would  be  instructed 
to  confer  with  me. 

I  informed  Senator  Muirhead  and  Judge  Key 
of  this  news,  and  they  were  both  much  encour- 
aged at  the  prospect,  especially  as  we  learned 
that  a  Peruvian  man-of-war  had  arrived  in  New 
York  from  AspinwalL,  it  being  doubtless  intended 
that  this  vessel  should  take  the  prisoner  to  Peru, 
in  case  he  could  be  frightened  into  surrendering 
himself. 

The  fete  was  to  take  place  on  Wednesday,  if 
the  weather  should  be  favorable,  or  on  the  first 
pleasant  day  thereafter,  and  everything  was  al- 
ready in  complete  order  for  the  grand  occasion. 
A  large  and  elegant  steamer  had  been  chartered 
to  convey  the  guests  to  the  island,  and  she  was  to 
make  several  trips  during  the  day  for  the  conven- 
ience of  business  men  who  could  not  go  early. 
There  remained  nothing  further  to  be  done,  ex- 
cept to  pray  for  fine  weather  on  the  important 
day. 

On  Monday  morning  I  was  told  that  two  gen- 
tlemen were  waiting  to  see  me,  on  very  import- 
ant business,  at  one  of  the  leading  hotels.  I  ac- 
companied the  messenger,  and  was  at  once  shown 
to  the  room  of  the  Peruvian  Minister,  who  was 
accompanied  by  the  Peruvian  Consul  at  New 
York.  Before  proceeding  to  business,  I  informed 
the  Minister  that  I  was  acting  under  the  instruc- 
tions of  Senator  Muirhead,  and  that  I  should  like 
to  send  for  that  gentleman,  and  for  my  legal  ad- 
visor, Judge  Key.  The  Peruvian  officials  made 


"  ROBBING  PETER   TO   PAY  PAUL."  251 

no  objection,  and  both  Judge  Key  and  the  Sena 
tor  were  soon  with  us,  ready  for  consultation. 
As  the  new  arrivals  were  tired  and  dusty  after 
their  long  journey,  we  merely  exchanged  infor- 
mation relative  to  Don  Pedro,  and  agreed  to  meet 
at  ten  o'clock  next  morning,  to  make  plans  for 
his  arrest. 

At  the  appointed  hour,  Ve  were  all  prompt  in 
arriving  at  the  parlor  of  the  Minister.  The  latter 
and  the  Consul,  in  accordance  with  a  suggestion 
I  had  made  the  day  previous,  had  not  mentioned 
their  official  rank  to  any  one,  and  had  remained 
as  secluded  as  possible,  in  order  to  prevent  Morito 
from  knowing  of  their  arrival  in  the  city. 

The  Minister  stated  that  the  forgeries  of  Don 
Juan  Sanchez  in  Peru  had  been  so  enormous, 
amounting  to  more  than  seven  hundred  thousand 
dollars,  that  the  government  had  taken  up  the 
pursuit  of  the  criminal  with  unusual  zeal,  and  no 
effort  nor  expense  would  be  spared  to  bring  him 
to  justice.  Unfortunately,  however,  in  the  ab- 
sence of  any  extradition  treaty  between  Peru 
and  the  United  States,  the  chances  of  securing 
Don  Juan,  even  now  that  he  had  been  discov- 
ered, were  not  bright;  indeed,  the  Minister  ac- 
knowledged that  he  saw  no  way  of  accomplish 
ing  it. 

"  By  an  appeal  to  law, "  said  Judge  Key,  ' '  noth- 
ing can  be  gained;  but  it  is  possible  that  my 
friend,  Mr.  Pinkerton,  may  have  a  plan  which 
will  induce  Don  Pedro,  as  he  now  calls  himself, 
i;nvii<l«'i  voluntarily   rather  than  stand  trial 


252  "  ROBBING  PETER  TO   PAY  PAXIL." 

here  or  in  Great  Britain.     Let  us  hear  your  opin- 
ion, then,  Mr.  Pinkerton." 

"Well,  gentlemen,"  I  replied,  "this  is  a  caso 
where  the  greatest  care  must  be  exercised,  for  the 
criminal  is  a  bold,  skillful  man,  of  good  educa- 
tion and  address,  with,  probably,  a  fair  knowl- 
edge of  his  legal  rights.  We  cannot  afford  to 
make  any  mistakes,  f6V  he  would  surely  take  ad- 
vantage of  them.  We  must,  therefore,  present 
the  case  to  him  in  such  a  way  that  he  will  be- 
lieve it  to  be  to  his  interest  to  give  himself  up. 
The  presence  of  the  Peruvian  man-of-war  in  New 
York  is  very  fortunate,  for,  once  under  her  flag, 
he  cannot  escape;  but  he  must  be  induced  to  go 
on  board  voluntarily,  or  else  we  shall  be  liable  to 
the  charge  of  kidnapping." 

I  then  explained  the  method  by  which  he  had 
had  swindled  the  citizens  of  Gloster,  and  showed 
how  difficult  it  would  be  to  convict  him  of  any- 
thing, owing  to  the  probability  that  his  victims 
would  refuse  to  testify  against  him;  besides,  for 
obtaining  money  under  false  pretenses,  a  short 
imprisonment  only  could  be  inflicted,  and  then  he 
would  be  free  to  go  where  he  pleased. 

"However,"  I  continued,  "I  think  I  can  pre 
sent  to  him  his  position  in  such  a  light  that  he 
will  regard  a  surrender  to  the  Peruvian  author- 
ities as  preferable  to  a  long  trial  and  detention 
here,  with  the  possibility  of  being  sent  to  Cali- 
fornia or  Great  Britain  for  trial  on  a  more  serious 
charge.  When  he  knows  that  we  are  fully  ac- 


"ROBBING  PETER  TO  PAY  PAUL."         253 

quainted  with  his  past  career,  he  may  be  willing 
to  accept  our  terms  rather  than  to  defy  us. " 

"Suppose,  however,"  said  the  Minister,  "that 
he  should  refuse  all  terms,  and  determine  to  fight 
it  out?" 

"  In  that  case,"  I  replied,  "we  should  be  obliged 
to  arrest  him  here  for  obtaining  money  undei 
false  pretenses,  and  be  prepared  to  arrest  him 
again  the  moment  he  should  be  set  free,  repeat- 
ing the  operation  as  often  as  we  could  get  differ- 
ent victims  to  enter  complaint  against  him.  The 
number  of  stockholders  in  this  bogus  company  is 
quite  large,  so  that  we  could  easily  hold  him  un- 
til a  requisition  could  be  obtained  from  California 
or  England." 

"How  large  a  sum  has  he  in  his  possession 
now  ? "  asked  the  Consul. 

"About  half  a  million  dollars,"  replied  the 
Senator. 

"Well,"  said  the  Consul,  "that  sum  will  go 
far  toward  reimbursing  the  people  whom  he 
swindled  in  Peru,  so  I  think  that  Mr.  Pinker- 
ton's  plan  is  the  best  that  can  be  adopted.  We 
might  induce  him  to  go  aboard  our  vessel  by 
promising  to  use  our  influence  to  lighten  his  sen- 
tence, in  case  he  makes  restitution  to  his  victims 
in  Peru." 

The  Consul  made  these  remarks  with  a  wise 
expression,  as  if  he  thought  he  had  hit  upon  a 
very  easy  way  of  solving  the  problem      The  S 
ator,  Judge  Key,  and  I  exchanged  looks  of  aston- 
ishment and  ainii-  ni'-ut  at  tliis  cool    proposal  to 


254:         "ROBBING  PETER  TO  PAY  PAUL." 

take  our  citizens'  money  to  reimburse  the  Peru- 
vians; it  was  a  case  of  "robbing  Peter  to  pay 
Paul "  which  we  could  not  appreciate.  Finally, 
I  said  : 

"  I  presume  that  there  can  be  no  question  as 
to  the  way  to  dispose  of  this  money  which  Don 
Pedro  has  in  his  possession.  Not  one  penny  of 
it  came  from  Peru,  and  we  cannot  permit  any  of 
it  to  be  taken  there.  On  arriving  here  Don  Pedro 
had  only  a  few  thousand  dollars,  which  he  ob- 
tained in  England  by  forgery.  This  sum  he  has 
already  used  up,  and  the  only  money  in  his  pos- 
session has  been  obtained  by  the  sale  of  his  ficti- 
tious diamond  fields  in  Peru.  It  would  be  mani- 
festly unjust  to  allow  this  money  to  be  taken 
away,  and  it  is  our  intention  to  obtain  it  at  all 
hazards,  whatever  may  become  of  the  Don." 

"  Oh  !  I  shall  make  no  such  claim,  Mr.  Pinker- 
ton,"  said  the  Minister  ;  "that  was  only  a  sug- 
gestion of  the  Consul,  who  did  not  understand 
exactly  how  the  money  referred  to  came  into  this 
man's  hands.  All  that  I  care  for  is  to  get  Don 
Pedro  on  board  our  vessel,  and  I  shah1  be  pleased 
to  pay  for  your  services  in  the  matter.  We  must 
be  careful,  however,  that  there  shall  be  no  op- 
portunity to  charge  us  with  kidnapping,  for  we 
\vish  to  avoid  any  possibility  of  complications 
with  the  United  States  ;  the  fellow  has  made  us 
trouble  enough  already." 

"I  will  arrange  that  matter  satisfactorily,"  I 
replied  ;  "  as  .for  the  question  of  payment,  I  air 
acting  wholly  in  the  interest  of  Senator  Muirhead, 


"ROBBING  PETER  TO  PAY  PAUL."         255 

and  under  his  instructions,  so  that  I  can  accept 
nothing  except  from  him." 

We  spent  an  hour  or  two  more  in  preparing 
papers  and  arranging  the  details  of  our  plans,  the 
conclusion  being  that  we  should  make  the  arrest 
that  evening,  about  seven  o'clock,  when  there 
would  be  f  eV  or  no  visitors  at  Don  Pedro's  house. 
As  I  had  supposed,  there  was  no  charge  whatever 
against  the  Donna,  and  pay  only  intentions  with 
regard  to  her  were  to  see  that  she  did  not  carry 
off  any  of  the  money  belonging  to  the  Diamond 
Company  stockholders,  nor  assist  the  Don  to 
escape.  It  was  decided  to  send  Don  Pedro  to 
New  York  immediately,  in  case  he  yielded  to  our 
terms,  and  the  Donna  would  be  at  liberty  to  go 
or  stay,  as  she  might  see  fit. 

On  returning  to  my  office,  I  found  Bangs  and 
Lesparre  awaiting  me,  and  the  latter  said  that  he 
believed  the  Don  and  Donna  intended  to  take 
flight  immediately  after  the  fete.  They  probably 
desired  to  finish  their  career  in  Gloster  in  a  blaze 
of  glory,  and,  as  they  would  not  be  expected  to 
receive  visitors  for  two  or  three  days  after  the 
,  they  would  have  a  good  start  before  their 
departure  would  become  known.  I  told  Lesparre 
to  see  that  Madame  Sevier  and  Salter  kept  a  close 
watch  for  the  remainder  of  the  day,  and  in  case 
any  attempt  should  be  made  to  remove  the  box 
containing  Don  Pedro's  coin,  he  must  send  Sailor 
to  m<>  instantly  witli  the  news.  I  also  sugges1 
that  the  servants  be  kept  out  of  the  way  that 
•  t  hut  no  one  should  know  of  om  N  i 


256         ''ROBBING  PETER  TO  PAY  PAUL." 

Lesparre  departed  to  attend  to  his  duties,  and  I 
remained  to  complete  the  details  of  my  plans 
with  Mr.  Bangs,  who  had  arrived  from  Chicago 
with  two  detectives,  in  obedience  to  my  sum- 
mons. 

About  six  o'clock,  Senator  Muirhead  and  Judge 
Key  arrived,  and  a  more  nervous  man  than  tho 
former  I  never  saw.  In  a  few  minutes  the  Peru 
vian  Minister  and  Consul  arrived,  and  we  pro 
ceeded  in  carriages  to  Don  Pedro's  house,  the 
Senator  remaining  at  the  hotel,  however.  We 
left  the  carriages  a  short  distance  away,  so  as  not 
to  attract  attention,  and,  while  Mr.  Bangs's  two 
men  stationed  themselves  to  watch  the  house,  the 
rest  of  my  party  ascended  the  steps  and  were 
admitted  by  Salter. 

"  The  family  are  still  at  dinner,"  said  Salter, 
"but  they  are  finishing  the  dessert,  and  I  pre- 
sume Don  Pedro  will  go  to  the  billiard-room  after 
dinner  to  smoke,  as  usual." 

11  Give  him  my  card  as  he  leaves  the  dining- 
room,"  I  said,  "  and  tell  him  that  I  am  waiting 
to  see  him  in  the  drawing-room." 

In  a  few  minutes,  Don  Pedro  and  Lesparre  rose 
from  the  table,  and  Salter  gave  my  card  to  the 
former. 

"  Pinkerton  !  Pinkerton  !  I  don't  know  any  one 
of  that  name;  do  I,  Lesparre  ?  " 

"  Possibly  it  may  be  some  gentleman  having 
business  with  you  in  connection  with  the  fete," 
suggested  Lesparre. 


"  ROBBING  PETER  TO  PAY   PAUL."  257 

"  Ah!  very  true;  where  is  he,  George  ?  I  will 
see  him  at  once,"  said  the  Don,  unsuspectingly. 

Salter  led  the  way  to  the  drawing-room,  where 
I  alone  was  waiting,  the  rest  of  the  party  having 
waited  in  the  vestibule.  As  he  entered,  followed 
by  Lesparre,  I  rose  and  said: 

"  Juan  Sanchez,  I  arrest  you,  and  you  are  now 
my  prisoner! "  and,  so  saying,  I  put  my  hand  on 
his  shoulder. 

He  turned  very  pale,  and  sat  down  in  the  near- 
est chair,  while  Lesparre  quickly  brought  him  a 
glass  of  water.  I  then  continued: 

"  Juan  Sanchez,  or  Jose  Gomez  more  properly, 
we  will  retire  to  the  library  if  you  wish,  as  we 
may  be  interrupted  here  by  the  arrival,  of  some  of 
your  friends,  and  I  do  not  wish  to  expose  you  at 
present." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  addressing  me  in  this 
manner  ? "  he  replied,  trying  to  regain  his  com- 
posure. "  My  name  is  neither  Sanchez  nor  Go- 
mez." 

"It  is  a  long  time  since  you  have  been  so 
called,"  I  answered,  "  but  your  victims  in  Brazil 
and  Peru  still  retain  the  names  in  their  memories 
without  difficulty.  I  will  now  present  to  you  the 
Minister  of  Peru  and  the  Peruvian  Consul  at  New 
York,  both  of  whom  have  taken  a  lively  interest 
in  your  past  life  and  actions." 

Just  as  I  spoke,  the  Donna  and  Madame  Sevier 
entered,  and  the  former,  seeing  the  abject  appon  r- 
ance  of  her  husband,  asked  what  was  the  matter. 

"  Your  husband  is  a  prisoner,  madam,"  I  re- 


258         "BOBBING  PETER  TO  PAY  PAUL." 

plied  ;  "  and  as  our  interview  would  be  painful  to 
you,  I  must  ask  you  to  withdraw  for  the  present 
at  least." 

She  immediately  gave  an  hysterical  scream, 
and  sank  upon  a  divan  sobbing  frantically. 
Madame  Sevier  succeeded  in  quieting  her  some- 
what, and  she  remained  on  the  scene  with  her 
face  buried  in  the  Madame's  lap.  I  felt  confident 
that  much  of  her  emotion  was  feigned,  and  that 
she  was  an  attentive  listener  to  all  that  took  place 
about  her;  however,  I  made  no  objection,  but  re- 
quested Mr.  Bangs,  who  was  watching  in  the  hall, 
to  admit  the  Minister  and  the  rest  of  the  party. 
As  Mr.  Bangs  withdrew,  the  Don  stepped  up  to 
me  and  said: 

"Mr.  Pinkertoii,  I  wiU  give  you  five  thousand 
dollars  if  you  will  leave  me  alone  for  half  an 
hour. " 

I  smiled,  and  looking  at  my  watch,  said: 

"It  is  now  seven  o'clock;  at  ten  o'clock  you 
will  be  on  your  way  to  New  York." 

"Toucan  have  ten  thousand,  if  you  will  let 
me  go;  I  will  pay  you  the  cash  in  coin  imme- 
diately." 

"Your  offers  are  useless,"  I  replied;  "I  will 
let  no  guilty  man  escape  if  it  can  be  avoided." 

As  I  spoke,  the  Peruvian  Minister,  the  Consul, 
and  Judge  Key  entered,  and  we  proceeded  in  a 
body  to  the  library,  leaving  the  Donna  in  the  care 
of  Madame  Sevier.  On  the  way  thither,  the  Don 
made  one  more  effort  to  appear  in  the  role  of  au 
injured  innocent 


"ROBBING  PETER  TO  PAY  ,'AUL."         259 

"  I  don't  understand  this  proceeding  at  all,"  he 
said,  "and  I  claim  my  liberty.  What  authority 
have  you  for  arresting  me  in  my  own  house? " 

"I  have  the  authority,  and  that  is  sufficient," 
I  replied,  coolly.  "If  you  desire  to  be  taken  at 
once  to  jail,  I  have  no  objection  to  granting  your 
request;  but  I  thought,  perhaps,  you  might  first 
prefer  to  hear  what  these  gentlemen  have  to  say." 

I  have  arrested  and  have  watched  a  great 
many  criminals,  but  I  have  never  seen  one  who, 
having  carried  out  such  an  extensive  scheme  of 
villainy,  was  so  utterly  broken  down  as  this  man 
was.  I  had  feared  that  his  nerve  might  be  firm 
enough  to  answer  my  threats  with  defiance,  and 
force  me  to  bring  him  to  trial  in  Gloster  ;  but  I 
saw  that  there  was  no  danger  of  such  a  misfor- 
tune, and  so  I  stood  aside  while  the  Peruvian 
Minister  addressed  him. 

"Juan  Sanchez,"  said  the  Minister,  "I  have 
come  here  to  obtain  your  removal  to  Peru,  thai 
you  may  be  tried  there  for  your  numberless 
forgeries  in  that  country.  A  Peruvian  war-ship  is 
now  in  New  York  harbor,  and  you  will  be  placed 
on  board  of  her  for  transportation  to  Peru.  Mr. 
Pinkerton's  superintendent  will  proceed  with  you 
to-night." 

The  Don  was  speechless  for  a  moment,  and 
then,  glancing  up,  he  said,  in  a  sullen  voice  : 

"I  want  to  know  what  I  am  charged  with, 
and  by  what  right  you  send  me  to  Peru.  I  am 
entitled  to  a  hearing,  and  a  lawyer  to  defend 
me." 


260         "BOBBING  PETER  TO  PAY  PAUL." 

"My  friend,  Judge  Key,  who  is  present,  is  a 
most  able  lawyer,"  I  replied,  "and  you  can  con- 
sult with  him  if  you  wish  advice;  but  first  let 
me  show  you  your  true  position.  Your  real 
name,  Don  Jose  Gomez,  was  given  you  in  Brazil, 
where  it  is  remembered  only  to  be  cursed;  Don 
Juan  Sanchez  was  your  name  in  Peru,  and  your 
crimes  there  are  also  well  known;  as  Don  Jose 
Michel,  there  are  serious  charges  against  you  in 
San  Francisco;  Don  Pedro  Michel  is  badly  wanted 
in  Quito,  where  he  would  probably  be  shot,  as 
they  treat  criminals  there  rather  unceremoni- 
ously; and  Don  Jose  Alias  would  undoubtedly  be 
transported  for  life  if  the  London  detectives 
should  discover  his  present  hiding  place,  to  say 
nothing  of  a  lively  interest  which  the  French 
gens  d'armes  take  in  the  same  person.  All  of 
these  people  are  now  informed  that  the  person 
whom  they  wish  to  find  is  living  in  Gloster  as 
Don  Pedro  P.  L.  de  Morito,  and  they  are  at  this 
moment  hastening  agents  here  to  arrest  him. 
By  chance,  the  Peruvian  authorities  are  the  first 
to  arrive,  and  they  have,  therefore,  the  happy 
privilege  of  making  the  arrest.  Now,  as  you  are 
probably  aware,  the  Minister  will  have  some 
difficulty  in  obtaining  an  order  from  Washington 
authorizing  me  to  send  you  to  Peru,  for  want  of 
an  extradition  treaty;  but  while  you  are  under 
arrest  here,  we  can  easily  get  warrants  from 
either  California,  England,  or  France,  and  then 
you  can  take  your  choice  between  being  shot  by 
vigilantes  in  California,  transported  to  Van 


"  ROBBING   PETER  TO   PAY   PAUL."  261 

Dieman's  Land  by  England,  or  sent  to  vvoik  in  the 
galleys  by  France.  This  is  your  present  situa- 
tion, and  I  am  perfectly  indifferent  which  course 
you  prefer.  If  you  decide  to  go  with  the  Peru- 
vian Minister,  you  must  agree  to  do  so  voluntarily, 
until  you  are  placed  on  board  the  Peruvian  vessel, 
and  you  must  make  an  assignment  of  all  your 
money  and  property  here  to  reimburse  the  people 
whom  you  have  swindled  by  the  sale  of  fictitious 
diamond-fields.  If  you  are  willing  to  comply 
with  these  conditions,  you  will  sign  all  the  neces- 
sary papers  at  once,  and  you  will  leave  for  New 
York  to-night,  uefore  the  English  extradition 
writ  arrives;  if  you  refuse  these  conditions,  1 
shall  hold  you  until  that  writ,  or  one  from  Cali- 
fornia, arrives." 

The  Don  was  evidently  in  no  mood  for  defiance: 
the  knowledge  of  his  past  history  which  I  dis- 
played had  wholly  cowed  him,  and  my  allusions 
to  the  vigilantes  of  California,  and  the  galleys  of 
France,  made  him  tremble  like  a  leaf.  He  knew 
perfectly  well  the  extent  of  his  crimes  in  those 
places,  and,  also,  that  my  hints  of  his  probable 
punishment  were  not  fancy  sketches.  Finally, 
h<-  asked  to  see  me  alone,  but  I  refused  to  grant 
his  request,  knowing  his  object:  Then  he  wished 
to  see  the  Minister  alone,  and  I  again  objected, 
but  I  accompanied  the  two  to  another  room, 
where  they  conversed  in  Spanish  for  some  time. 
The  Minister  told  me  that  the  Don  offered  the 
whole  of  his  money  and  property  to  allo\v  him  to 
escape;  but,  finding  his  off ers  useless,  he  agreed  tc 


262         "ROBBING  PETER  TO  PAY  PAUL." 

go  to  Peru  for  trial.  No  pledges  were  made  to  him 
to  infli  icnce  his  decision,  though  he  begged  so  hard 
that  the  Minister  would  intercede  for  him  with 
the  authorities  in  Peru,  that  his  Excellency 
finally  promised,  in  view  of  the  Don's  consent  to 
go  willingly,  to  recommend  that  his  punishment 
be  the  lightest  that  the  law  could  allow.  The 
Don  having  fully  yielded  to  the  arguments  of  the 
Minister  and  myself,  nothing  remained  to  be 
done  except  to  obtain  his  signature  to  the  papers 
which  had  been  already  prepared,  and  to  pack 
his  trunk  for  his  journey.  Lesnarre  and  Salter 
performed  the  latter  task  while  the  Don  was 
signing  the  papers,  and  writing  out  his  voluntary 
agreement  to  deliver  himself  up  to  the  Peruvian 
authorities.  The  most  important  document  was 
a  deed  assigning  his  furniture,  horses,  carriages, 
paintings,  statuary,  books,  and,  in  short,  all  his 
personal  property,  to  Judge  Key,  to  be  disposed 
of  at  the  latter's  discretion,  and  the  proceeds, 
with  the  large  amount  of  cash  on  hand,  to  be  ap- 
plied to  repay  the  subscribers  to  the  Diamond 
Company  stock.  In  case  there  should  not  be  suf- 
ficient to  pay  them  in  full,  the  payments  should 
be  made  pro  rata;  but  should  there  be  an  excess, 
such  excess  should  be  applied  to  the  paymen  t  of 
the  Don's  private  debts,  contracted  prior  to  that 
date.  This  provision  was,  of  course,  necessary  to 
shut  out  the  bills  for  supplies  and  services  at  the 
fete  on  the  following  day.  Evidently  it  was  too 
late  to  interfere  with  that  interesting  entertain- 
ment without  throwing  a  heavy  -loss  on  many 


"ROBBING  PETER  TO  PAY  PAUL."        263 

persons  who  could  not  afford  to  be  the  sufferers, 
and  I  saw  only  one  way  to  prevent  this,  namely; 
to  let  the  fete  go  on,  and  make  those  who  danced 
pay  the  piper. 

When  the  documents  had  all  been  signed,  I 
said: 

*'  Jos6  Gomez,  you  fully  understand  the  mean- 
ing of  this  paper?"  holding  up  his  surrender  to 
the  Peruvian  authorities;  "  it  gives  me  power  to 
convey  you  to  New  York  and  place  you  on  board 
of  a  Peruvian  vessel,  using  force,  if  necessary." 

The  Don  bowed  his  head  submissively,  and  said 
that  he  so  understood  it.  The  acknowledgment 
of  the  deeds  was  then  made  by  Judge  Key,  who 
was  a  notary  public,  and  our  success  was  com- 
plete. The  Donna  was  then  informed  that  her 
husband  would  be  taken  East  that  night,  and  she 
professed  to  be  much  affected.  I  told  her  that 
there  was  no  charge  against  her,  and  that  she 
could  go  with  her  husband,  or  stay  in  Gloster, 
according  to  her  own  wishes.  She  said  that  she 
would  go  with  him  if  Madame  Sevier  could  ac- 
company them.  I  had  no  objection  to  this,  and 
the  two  ladies  retired  to  pack  their  trunks.  There 
was  some  uncertainty  in  my  mind  whether  some 
of  the  Don's  cash  might  not  be  in  the  Donna's 
possession;  but  I  felt  rather  confident  that  she 
kept  her  money  entirely  separate  from  his,  and 
that  I  could  trust  to  Madame  Sevier's  acuteness 
to  discover  how  much  the  Donna  had  on  hand. 
I  was  not  disappointed,  for,  while  packing,  the 
Donna  told  the  Madame  that  she  had  about  nine 


26 i         "ROBBING  PETER  TO  PAY  °AUL." 

thousand  dollars,  the  remains  of  her  gifts  from 
Mather,  but  that  she  could  secure  an  immense 
sum  out  of  the  iron  box  if  she  could  get  it  opon. 
I  had  already  made  the  Don  confess  where  he 
had  hidden  his  money,  and  one  of  my  detectives 
was  placed  to  guard  the  box;  hence,  the  Donna 
was  disappointed  in  her  attempts  to  make  a  raid 
on  the  treasury.  While  the  packing  was  going 
on,  I  sent  to  the  railroad  depot  and  bought  eight 
railroad  tickets  for  the  party,  which  was  to  con- 
sist of  the  Minister,  the  Consul,  the  Don  and 
Donna,  Mr.  Bangs,  Madame  Sevier,  and  two  of 
my  men.  At  half -past  nine  o'clock  the  party 
was  ready  and  the  trunks  were  sent  off.  I  had 
kept  a  close  watch  upon  the  Don  until  now,  and 
I  saw  that  he  hoped  to  escape  while  traveling. 
When  the  carriages  were  announced,  I  stepped 
up  to  him  and  told  him  that  my  invariable  cus- 
tom in  such  cases  would  require  me  to  put  him 
in  irons  to  prevent  any  attempt  at  escape. 

''Shall  you  permit  me  to  be  treated  in  this 
manner? "  he  said  to  the  Peruvian  Minister. 

"You  are  not  yet  in  the  custody  of  the  Peru- 
vian authorities,"  I  replied,  "  and  I  am  responsi- 
ble for  your  safe  delivery  in  New  York;  hence  I 
must  take  such  precautions  as  I  consider  neces- 
sary. When  you  are  on  board  the  Peruvian  ves- 
sel, the  Minister  can  give  such  orders  concerning 
you  as  he  may  think  proper;  but,  until  then,  I 
alone  have  the  right  to  determine  what  shall  be 
done  with  you." 

In  a  moment,   I  had    placed  a  light  set  of 


A  GRAND   CARNIVAL.  265 

shackles  on  his  feet,  and  handcuffs  on  his  wrists; 
he  was  quite  submissive  now,  and  only  seemed 
anxious  to  avoid  observation. 

As  we  passed  out  to  the  carriages,  the  Donna 
handed  me  a  note,  addressed  to  Henry  0.  Mather, 
and  asked  me  to  have  it  delivered  immediately. 
I  agreed  to  send  it  at  once,  though  I  sent  it  in 
such  a  manner  that  he  should  not  receive  it  until 
the  morning  after  the  fete.  The  party  arrived  at 
1  he  depot  in  time  to  secure  seats  together,  and  at 
ten  o'clock  the  train  bore  them  from  the  city. 


CHAPTER  X. 

77ie  F%te  Champetre. — A   Grand  Carnival. — Tfie  Dis- 
appointed Married  Lover. — A  Vain  Tien  nest. —  Un- 
masked!— A  Shrewd  Caterer  and  his  lImnUi<tii»'j 
Demands. — An    Lnl!i/nant    Deacon. — Don    J 
t'ik&n,  to  Peru  in  a  Man-of-  War,  where  he  is  Con- 
meted  and  Sentenced  to  Fifteen  Years'  Tin/>r 
ment. — But    the  Donna   manages   to   Satisfy  her 
Affections  in  a  quiet  way  in  New  York. 

npo  the  great  delight  of  hundreds  of  people  in 
JL    Gloster,  Wednesday  morning  revealed  all 
the  indications  of  a  pleasant  day,  and  by  noon 
'veather  was  so  lovely  that  nothing  could 
have  been  more  auspicious  for  the  grand  occa- 
sion.    As  the  hour  approached  for  the  departure 
of  the  steamer,  carriage  after  carriage  drew  up 
at  the  dock  to  discharge  its  load  of  brilliant  ly- 

12 


266  A  GRAND   CARNIVAL. 

diessed  and  masked  ladies  and  gentlemen.  The 
only  person  who  was  not  completely  protect  r-d 
from  recognition  was  Monsieur  Lesparre,  who 
stood  at  the  gangway  to  receive  the  guests,  and 
wore  a  plain  evening  dress,  with  no  mask. 

In  order  to  prevent  the  attendance  of  persons 
who  had  not  been  invited,  each  guest  ^*<is  1V 
quired  to  present  his  or  her  invitation,  and,  as 
there  were,  as  usual,  many  who  had  forgotten  to 
bring  their  cards,  Lesparre  remained  at  hand  to 
pass  them  on  board,  on  leaving  their  names. 
When  the  hour  of  departure  arrived,  the  boat 
swung  out  into  the  stream,  amid  the  laughter 
and  merry  shouts  of  the  gay  revelers  that 
crowded  her  decks,  as  the  band  flooded  the  air 
with  music. 

At  first  there  was  some  embarrassment  and  re- 
serve in  the  intercourse  between  the  masquer- 
aders,  owing  to  the  novelty  of  their  situation,  and 
the  fact  that  the  ladies  at  first  clung  closely  to 
their  own  little  parties,  with  whom  they  had  come 
and  to  whom  they  were  known  ;  but  soon  this 
feeling  wore  off.  They  began  to  enter  into  the 
merry  spirit  of  revelry  which  characterizes  such 
entertainments  in  the  cities  of  the  Old  World. 
The  idea  of  personal  identity  began  to  be  lost  in 
the  gayety  of  the  moment,  and  in  its  place  was 
substituted  an  identification  of  each  person  with 
the  character  which  that  person  represented.  The 
balmy  airs  of  a  perfect  spring  day  wafted  to  them 
the  sounds  of  country  life  along  the  shores  of  the 
river,  and  gave  sensations  both  novel  and  plnas- 


A  GRAND   CARNIVAL.  267 

ing  to  the  gaj  denizens  of  the  city,  who  rarely 
experienced  any  change  from  their  routine  of 
fashionable  entertainments.  During  the  trip  by 
steamer  there  was  much  speculation  as  to  the 
disguises  worn  by  the  Don  and  Donna,  and  though 
oral  persons  were  suspected  of  being  the  host 
and  hostess,  there  was  no  sufficient  way  of  iden- 
tifying them. 

At  length  the  island  was  reached,  and  the  party 
disembarked.  The  scene,  as  they  took  possession 
of  the  tents,  booths,  and  pleasure-grounds,  was 
brilliant  and  attractive  beyond  anything  which 
the  guests  had  ever  witnessed.  The  island  was 
covered  with  large  trees,  whose  branches  and 
foliage  afforded  a  delightful  shade.  The  close 
underbrush  had  been  removed  everywhere,  ex- 
cept in  certain  ravines  and  other  picturesque 
spots,-  so  that  the  island  presented  a  fine  example 
of  the  beauties  of  landscape  gardening.  The  fore- 
ground, at  the  place  of  landing,  was  a  level  ex- 
panse of  green  turf,  which  had  been  laid  there 
weeks  before.  This  was  partly  arranged  for 
divliery  grounds,  while  rustic  seats  and  swings 
were  to  be  found  under  every  tree.  A  large  plat- 
form, for  open-air  dancing,  was  placed  at  the  foot 
of  the  first  ridge  from  the  landing,  while  near  by 
\vufi  an  enclosed  dancing-hall,  to  be  used  in  the 
evening.  Two  bands  were  in  attendance  to  play 
dance  music  constantly,  one  resting  while  the 
other  played.  It  was  understood  thaj  dinner 
would  be  served,  at  four  o'clock  exactly,  in  a  long 


268  A  GRAND   CARNIVAL. 

dining-room  near  the  dancing-hall,  and  at  that 
time  every  one  was  to  unmask. 

As  the  party  spread  over  the  grounds  and  be- 
gan to  enjoy  all  the  opportunities  for  pleasure 
afforded  them,  they  presented  a  most  novel  ap- 
pearance. There  were  representatives,  both  male 
and  female,  of  nearly  every  known  nationality, 
and  all  'the  leading  characters  of  historical  and 
fictional  literature  were  admirably  delineated. 
Of  course,  among  such  members  there  were 
many  accidental  repetitions  of  the  same  char- 
acter, but  there  were  also  instances  offac  similes, 
which  were  intentional.  This  was  a  frequent 
cause  of  mistakes  and  embarrassing  adventures, 
and  often,  when  a  gay  cavalier  was  talking  in 
tender  tones  to  some  lovely  senorita  whom  he  be- 
lieved he  knew,  he  would  be  astonished  to  see  a 
second  senorita,  exactly  like  the  first,  passing  un- 
concernedly by. 

The  afternoon  was  spent  in  rowing,  sailing, 
shooting,  dancing,  and  flirting,  and  all  agreed 
that  they  had  never  known  a  more  truly  delight- 
ful day.  An  elegant  lunch  was  kept  ready  at  all 
times  in  a  large  buffet,  adjoining  the  dining-room, 
and  all  kinds  of  wines  and  liquors  were  served 
freely.  The  hour  for  dinner  was  fast  approach- 
ing, and,  of  course,  by  that  time,  many  recogni- 
tions had  been  made,  though  large  numbers  still 
carefully  and  successfully  preserved  their  own 
secrets;  some,  however,  had  already  abandoned 
their  masks,  still  retaining  the  fancy  costumes. 
Among  these  was  Mr.  Mather,  who  wandered 


A  GRAXD  CARXIVA1  269 

over  the  island  half  distraught.  He  had  vainly 
searched  for  the  Donna  all  day,  acd  had  been  un- 
able to  enjoy  anything  because  he  could  not  dis- 
tinguish her.  Often  he  had  believed  he  had 
found  her,  but  again  and  again  he  had  discovered 
that  he  was  mistaken;  so  he  continued  his  search 
without  his  mask,  hoping  that  she  would  make 
herself  known  to  him.  At  last  he  approached 
Lesparre,  just  before  four  o'clock. 

"My  dear  Lesparre,"  he  asked,  in  imploring 
tones,  "  I  beg  that  you  will  tell  me  how  to  recog- 
nize Donna  Lucia.  I  have  talked  with  every  per- 
son who  could  possibly  be  taken  for  her,  and  I 
acknowledge  that  she  is  so  perfectly  disguised 
that  I  cannot  discover  her.  Won't  you  please 
tell  me  how  she  is  dressed  ? " 

"That  I  do  not  know  myself,"  replied  Le- 
sparre. "She  was  very  careful  to  keep  the 
knowledge  from  me,  for  fear  I  might  be  teased 
into  telling  some  one." 

"  Well,  how  is  the  Don  dressed,  then  ? "  asked 
Mather.  "Perhaps  he  will  tell  me  about  the> 
Donna." 

"  I  do  not  know  how  he  is  dressed,  either,"  an- 
swered Lesparre.  "  He  was  as  secret  in  his 
preparations  as  his  wife." 

"What!  haven't  you  seen  him  to  speak  to 
since  the  fete  commenced  ? "  inquired  Mather,  in 
astonishment. 

"No,  I  have  not  seen  him  since  last  night," 
said  Lesparre.  "  You  see,  the  Don  and  I  made 
all  arrangements  yesterday  afternoon,  and  I 


270  A  GRAND  CARNIVAL. 

came  down  to  the  island  to  superintend  the  plac- 
ing of  the  fireworks  in  the  evening.  I  spent  the 
night  down  here,  and  have  not  gone  back  to  the 
house  since  I  left  it  after  dinner  yesterday  even- 
ing. The  Don  has  not  spoken  to  me  to-day,  and, 
for  all  that  I  know  about  him,  he  may  not  ha\  e 
come  to  his  own  fete." 

Lesparre  said  this  in  a  jocular  manner,  as 
though  he  had  made  quite  an  impossible  suppo- 
sition ;  but  Mather  seemed  to  catch  an  idea  from 
it. 

"By  Jove!  I  begin  to  think  so  myself,"  he 
exclaimed,  as  if  confirming  a  thought  which  had 
already  occurred  to  him. 

Just  then  Judge  Morgan,  dressed  to  represent 
the  Fat  Boy  of  the  Pickwick  Papers,  rang  a  large 
bell,  which  could  be  heard  all  over  the  island, 
and  the  guests  began  flocking  into  the  dancing- 
hall,  preparatory  to  unmasking  and  having  a 
grand  march  into  the  dining-room.  When  all 
were  present,  the  bustle  and  talk  quieted  down, 
and  all  looked  expectantly  for  the  Don  to  give 
the  signal  for  unmasking.  Several  of  the  in- 
timate friends  of  the  host  had  assembled  on  the 
dais  at  the  head  of  the  hall;  and  each  of  these 
looked  at  the  others  to  see  which  among  them 
was  the  Don.  At  last,  Mather  stepped  forward 
and  addressed  the  whole  company: 

"Ladies  and  gentlemen,  somewhere  among  us 
are  the  host  and  hostess  of  this,  the  most  elegant 
entertainment  ever  given  in  Gloster;  they  have 
been  successful  not  only  in  producing  hero  a 


A   GRAND   CARNIVAL.  271 

fairy  spectacle  of  unequaled  beauty,  but  also  in 
effectually  hiding  themselves  from  discovery  in 
their  assumed  characters.  So  far  as  I  know,  not 
any  person  present  can  state  positively  the  dis 
guise  of  either  Don  Pedro  or  Donna  Lucia.  Am 
I  right?  If  any  one  has  discovered  either  of 
them,  I  ask  him  to  let  us  all  know  it  before  the 
signal  for  unmasking  is  given." 

Mr.  Mather  waited  a  moment  amid  profound 
stillness,  but  no  one  replied  to  his  request. 

"Well,  now,"  he  continued,  "I  respectfully 
call  upon  the  Don  and  Donna  to  come  forward 
to  the  dais,  assume  their  rightful  positions  as 
host  and  hostess,  and  give  the  order  to  unmask." 

Alas!  he  was  calling  upon  a  pair  of  unfortunate 
travelers,  who  were  then  far  on  their  way  to  New 
York,  one  in  irons,  and  the  other  in  tears.  There 
was  no  answer  nor  movement  among  the  gay 
masqueraders,  and  whispers  of  wonder  began  to 
run  through  the  throng. 

"Oh!  come,  Don  Pedro,"  said  Judge  Morgan, 
whose  appetite  called  loudly  to  be  satisfied,  "you 
have  shown  that  your  disguise  defies  discovery; 
now  come  forward  and  take  your  place.  You 
can  laugh  at  our  dullness  all  you  please,  but  don't 
keep  us  in  suspense  any  longer." 

Still  there  was  no  reply,  and  the  astonishment 
of  all  the  guests  began  to  assume  a  form  of  vague 
suspicion.  At  length,  Mather  again  spoke  up,  in 
a  husky  voice: 

"  As  our  host  is  so  retiring,  I  will  take  the 
liberty  of  asking  those  present  to  unmask,  and 


272  A   GRAND   CARNIVAL. 

we  shall  then  discover  his  disguise.     Tap  the  bell, 
Morgan. " 

Judge  Morgan  immediately  pulled  the  bell-rope 
three  times,  and,  as  this  was  the  concerted  signal, 
a  gun  was  fired  on  board  the  steamer,  and  the 
band  struck  up  a  spirited  march.  The  confusion 
of  unmasking  was  quickly  over,  and  the  gu< 
formed  a  long  procession  around  two  sides  of  the 
hall,  preparatory  to  marching  to  dinner ;  but  on 
the  dais  the  confusion  only  increased,  as  face  after 
face  was  revealed,  and  neither  host  nor  hostess 
was  to  be  found.  Eobert  Harrington,  Charlie  Mor- 
ton, Captain  and  Mrs.  Kerr,  Alexander  Mclntyre, 
Judge  Taylor,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Benson,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Simon,  Charles  H.  Sanders,  wife  and  daugh- 
ter, Deacon  Humphrey  and  daughter,  John  Pres- 
ton and  family,  and  several  others,  were  there, 
but  not  a  trace  could  be  seen  of  Don  Pedro  P.  L. 
de  Morito  and  Donna  Lucia. 

"Where  in  the  devil  is  the  Don?"  was  the 
forcible  manner  in  which  Charlie  Morton  ex- 
pressed the  sentiments  of  all  present. 

The  absence  of  the  host  and  hostess  could  not 
fail  to  cause  great  confusion  at  any  time,  but,  in 
this  instance,  there  seemed  to  be  a  host  of  sus- 
picions flying  about  in  a  few  minutes.  Madame 
Sevier's  absence  was  also  noted,  and  a  sort  of 
panic  seized  every  one.  No  movement  toward 
the  dining-room  was  made,  but  all  stood  irreso- 
lute, anxiously  waiting  for  some  one  to  determine 
what  to  do,  and  set  them  an  example.  Lesparre 
was  sought  for  and  questioned  closely  as  to  the 


A   GRAND   CARNIVAL.  273 

reason  for  his  employer's  absence,  but  he  could 
give  no  satisfactory  answer.  He  told  all  in- 
quirers that  he  had  not  seen  the  Don  since  the 
ev  oning  previous,  and  that  he  was  as  ignorant  of 
the  cause  of  his  absence  as  any  one.  Then 
several  questions  relative  to  the  Don's  pecuniary 
affairs  were  asked,  and  Lesparre  told  all  that  he 
knew.  The  fact  that  the  Don  had  exhausted  his 
bank  account,  and  had  kept  all  his  money  in  his 
own  possession,  set  a  good  many  people  to  think- 
ing about  the  circumstances  of  his  arrival  there. 
Then  the  stockholders  in  the  Diamond  Company 
began  to  grow  suspicious,  and  it  took  but  a  few 
minutes  to  put  them  in  such  a  state  of  vague 
uneasiness,  that  they  hardly  knew  what  to  be- 
lieve of  the  man  whom  they  so  lately  admired 
and  honored.  At  length,  a  consultation  was 
held  among  some  of  the  more  intimate  friends  of 
the  Morito  family,  and  it  was  decided  to  go  in  to 
dinner  as  if  nothing  had  happened.  If  there  had 
been  any  accidental  detention  of  the  Don  and 
Donna,  they  would,  of  course,  be  desirous  that 
the  fete  should  proceed  without  them  the  same 
as  if  they  had  been  present;  while  if  there  was 
any  trickery  connected  with  their  absence,  tl ; 
would  be  no  use  of  waiting  for  them  to  come 
Accordingly,  the  procession  was  again  formed, 
the  band  struck  up  another  march,  and  the  party 
proceed <M!  toward  the  dining-room,  headed  by 
Henry  0.  Mai  her  with  Mrs.  Simon,  and  Richar-1 
Perkins  with  Miss  IVnson. 
But  now  ocninvd  I  he  most  humiliating  part  of 


2H  A  GRAND  CARNIVAL. 

the  changed  programme:  Mr.  George  P.  Wester 
field,  the  caterer,  refused  to  admit  the  guests  to 
the  dining-room  unless  the  payment  of  his  bill 
was  guaranteed.  Mr.  Westerfiekl.was  a  man  of 
uncommon  shrewdness.  He  had  been  accus- 
tomed to  furnishing  the  suppers  at  the  grand  en- 
tertainments of  the  city  for  several  years,  and  lie 
was  well  acquainted  with  the  circumstances  <  f 
every  person  in  the  social  world;  hence,  he  had 
seen  a  great  deal  of  the  Don  and  Donna  during 
their  stay  in  the  city.  He  had  no  more  reason  to 
suspect  them  of  having  taken  flight  than  the 
others,  but  his  native  keenness  and  good  judg- 
ment led  him  to  protect  himself,  and  he  resolutely 
declined  to  open  the  dining-room  doors  unless  his 
bill  was  guaranteed.  An  animated  discussion  im- 
mediately arose  between  Mr.  Westerfield  and  the 
hungry  guests;  but  nothing  would  induce  him  to 
change  his  resolve.  He  said  that  he  was  already 
out  of  pocket  largely  by  the  lunch  he  had  served 
during  the  afternoon,  and  he  could  not  afford  to 
lose  his  dinner  too. 

"  But  Don  Pedro  will  pay  for  everything,"  said 
Mr.  Mather.  "  He  is  immensely  wealthy,  and  he 
always  pays  cash  promptly  for  all  he  buys." 

"  Yes,  that  may  have  been  true  heretofore,  but 
how  do  I  know  where  Don  Pedro  is  ? "  queried  the 
caterer. 

"  Why,  he  is  probably  accidentally  detained  in 
Gloster,"  replied  Mather.  "  I  have  every  confi- 
dence in  him,  and  wheti  he  explains  his  unfortu- 
nate absence  to-day,  those  who  have  suspected 


A  GRAND   CARNIVAL.  275 

him  will  regret  their  hasty  remarks  derogatory 
to  his  character." 

"  Well,  then,  Mr.  Mather,"  said  the  shrewd  ca- 
terer, "  if  you  have  eveiy  confidence  in  Don  Pe- 
dro, you  can  give  me  your  guarantee  that  I  shall 
be  paid  in  full,  and  then  I  shall  be  happy  to  serve 
the  guests  the  same  as  if  the  Don  were  here." 

Mr.  Mather  hesitated  a  moment,  and  then  re- 
fused to  do  anything  of  the  kind.  He  was,  un- 
doubtedly, so  disturbed  in  mind  that  he  hardly 
knew  what  he  was  doing.  If  he  had  kept  his 
wits  about  him,  he  would  not  have  hesitated  an 
instant  to  take  the  whole  expense  of  the  fete  on 
his  own  shoulders  rather  than  have  such  a  scene 
occur  as  seemed  imminent,  for  the  sum  would 
have  been  a  mere  bagatelle  to  him  ;  but  he  knew 
not  what  to  think,  and  his  suspicions  ran  far 
ahead  of  those  of  any  other  person  present.  He 
had  on  his  shoulders  the  whole  responsibility  of 
this  man,  Don  Pedro,  for  he  had  invited  him  to 
Gloster,  and  had  largely  vouched  for  his  character; 
hence,  if  Don  Pedro  should  prove  to  be  a  swindler, 
a  great  deal  of  blame  would  fall  upon  Mather. 
This  feeling  contributed  largely  to  confuse  and 
annoy  him,  while  his  passion  for  the  Donna  was 
another  cause  of  embarrassment.  He  therefore 
adod  in  a  most  nervous,  uncertain  way,  and 
seemed  quite  unable  to  decide  what  to  do.  Mr. 
-trriiold's  proposition  was  reasonable  enough, 
and  he  was  willing  to  accept  the  guarantee  of  any 
other  gentleman  of  known  responsibility;  but 
singularly,  tln-iv  was  nut  uin-  am.'iig  all  who  had 


276  A   GRAND   CARNIVAL. 

been  intimate  with  the  Don  who  would  make  him 
self  liable  for  the  cost  of  the  dinner ;  conse- 
quently the  caterer  refused  to  admit  the  throng 
into  the  dining-room.  By  this  time  every  one  was 
worked  up  into  a  state  of  righteous  indignation. 
The  apprehensions  of  the  owners  of  Diamond 
Company  stock  were  the  first  causes  of  the  feel- 
ing against  the  Don,  and  the  disappointing  termi- 
nation of  the  long-anticipated  fete  was  another 
fruitful  source  of  bitterness.  As  people's  appe- 
tites began  to  call  loudly  for  dinner,  it  became 
evident  that  the  caterer's  demands  must  be  satis- 
fied in  some  way,  and  finally  it  was  agreed  that 
the  dinner  should  be  paid  for  by  those  who  par- 
took of  it  at  the  rate  of  ten  dollars  a  plate.  This 
amount  was  to  include  the  lunch  and  wine  al- 
ready furnished,  and  also  all  the  provisions  for 
dinner  with  the  remainder  of  the  wine  provided 
under  the  contract  with  Don  Pedro.  Under  this 
agreement,  the  dinner  was  served  in  the  best  pos- 
sible style  to  the  long  array  of  famished  and  irri- 
tated masqueraders.  It  was  not  a  very  cheerful 
meal,  for  too  many  of  the  participants  were  pre- 
occupied with  thoughts  of  their  possibly  lost  in- 
vestments in  the  stock  of  the  Diamond  Company  ; 
but,  under  the  influence  of  excellent  viands  and 
good  wine,  there  was  a  slight  reaction  in  the  feel- 
ings of  the  younger  members  of  the  party,  and 
when  the  last  course  had  been  served;  they  pro- 
posed to  go  on  with  the  entertainment  the  samn 
as  though  nothing  had  happened. 
On  entering  the  dancing-hall,  therefore,  tho 


A  GRAND  CARNIVAL.  277 

greater  portion  of  the  young  people  prepared  to 
enjoy  the  evenyig  in  dancing;  but  here  again  an 
obstacle  presented  itself:  the  bandsmen  had  taken 
alarm  from  the  action  of  the  caterer,  and  they 
refused  to  play  unless  their  account  was  settled. 
Not  a  note  would  they  sound  until  their  demands 
were  satisfied,  and  so  the  gentlemen  contributed, 
jointly,  enough  to  pay  them  in  full  also.  The 
troubles'  and  annoyances  of  the  later  portion  of  the 
fete  were  soon  forgotten  by  the  greater  number 
of  the  butterflies  who  formed  the  assembly,  and 
as  they  floated  off  to  the  strains  of  a  beautiful 
waltz,  they  unanimously  decided  to  spend  ih>i 
evening  in  a  delightful  dance. 

Meantime,  however,  many  of  the  more  staid 
and  elderly  guests,  having  decided  to  go  home 
immediately  after  dinner,  had  gone  down  to  the 
steamboat  landing  to  embark.  To  their  aston- 
ishment they  saw  the  steamer  tied  up  on  the 
opposite  shore,  her  lights  being  just  visible  across 
the  water.  After  various  attempts  to  hail  her, 
a  reply  was  heard  from  a  small  boat,  which  con- 
tained the  captain.  He  pulled  in  near  the  shore, 
and  Judge  Morgan,  in  an  important  tone,  ordered 
him  to  bring  his  steamer  across  the  river  and 
convey  a  party  back  to  Gloster. 

"  But  who  is  going  to  pay  me  for  the  use  of  my 
steamer  all  day? "  asked  the  captain,  resting  on 
his  oars,  within  easy  talking  distance  of  1h-» 
shore.  Alas!  he,  also,  had  determined  to  follow 
the  example  <>t'  the  ealeivr,  and  demand  payment 
for  his  services  before  admitting 
on  board  his  steamer. 


278  A  GRAND  CARNIVAL. 

1  'Pay  you  "  exclaimed  the  horrified  Ethan 
Allen  Benson,  who  had  paid  so  much  for  his  din- 
ner that  his  miserly  soul  was  already  repenting 
having  come;  "why,  Don  Pedro  will  pay  you,  of 
course." 

"Well,  I'd  like  to  see  him,  then,"  said  the  cap- 
tain. 

An  exciting  conversation  then  ensued  between 
the  indignant  would-be  passengers  and  the  cap- 
tain of  the  steamer.  The  latter,  however,  had 
all  the  advantage,  for  he  knew  the  masqueraders 
must  eventually  come  to  his  terms. 

"What  do  you  mean  by  refusing  to  take  us  on 
board  ? "  demanded  Deacon  Humphrey,  furiously. 
"  Don't  you  know  that  we  can't  stay  here  all 
night?" 

"I  presume  not,"  said  the  captain,  "and  I 
don't  suppose  you  will  do  so;  but  I  must  have 
payment  for  the  use  of  my  steamer.  You  can  pay 
me  in  one  sum  by  a  check,  or  you  can  pay  me  at 
the  rate  of  three  dollars  a  head:  I  don't  care 
which  you  choose,  only  I  must  be  paid." 

The  altercation  continued  at  some  length,  and 
eventually  the  captain  said  that  he  could  not  afford 
to  waste  coal  in  keeping  steam  up,  and  if  they 
did  not  agree  to  his  terms,  he  would  haul  foes 
and  let  his  steamer  stay  where  she  was  all  night. 
This  threat  brought  the  party  to  his  terms,  and 
he  was  ordered  to  bring  his  steamer  over.  He 
refused  to  make  more  than  one  trip,  however, 
and  so  the  dancers  were  called  away  from  the 
ballroom  at  the  end  of  the  first  waltz,  thus  spoil- 


A  GRAND   CARNIVAL.  279 

ing  their  gayety  almost  ere  it  had  begun.  As  the 
motley  groups  gathered  on  shore  awaiting  the 
steamer's  approach,  a  more  deeply  disgusted  and 
indignant  assemblage  wajS  never  known  in  the 
annals  of  good  society,  and  curses,  both  openly 
and  inwardly  expressed  against  the  Don,  were 
numerous  and  bitter.  As  they  passed  over  the 
gangway,  the  captain  and  clerk  were  at  hand  to 
collect  fares,  and  no  one  was  allowed  to  pass  with- 
out paying  cash  or  giving  a  check  for  the  amount, 
indorsed  by  some  well-known  man  of  wealth 
and  position.  Finally,  the  whole  sorrowful  party 
was  embarked,  and  the  steamer  turned  her  head 
toward  Gloster.  The  excitement  and  continuous 
dancing,  which  most  of  those  on  board  had  in- 
dulged in  during  the  day,  had  left  them  in  a  state 
of  nervous  and  physical  fatigue  little  calculated 
to  improve  their  spirits,  while  the  financial  losses 
of  many  were  matters  of  an  intensely  depressing 
influence  upon  them.  A  more  ill-tempered,  dis- 
appointed, and  irritable  cargo  cannot  be  imagined. 
Their  troubles  were  not  ended  even  on  their  ar- 
rival at  the  wharf  in  Gloster,  for,  being  so  much 
earlier  in  returning  than  they  had  expected,  no  car- 
riages were  in  attendance,  and  the  ladies  were 
obliged  to  wait  on  board  while  their  escorts  went 
to  the  livery  stables  to  order  carriages  to  take 
them  home. 

Thus  ended  the  fete  champetre  which  had  been 
anticipated  so  fondly  as  a  new  departure  in  the 
social  world  of  Gloster.  In  this,  however,  it  was 
a  success;  for,  certainly,  its  like  had  never 


280  A  GRAND   CARNIVAL. 

seen  before,  and  the  guests  were  profoundly  hope« 
ful  that  they  never  should  see  its  like  again. 

The  following  morning  the  whole  city  was 
talking  of  the  flight  of  the  Peruvian  adven- 
turers. Their  late  residence  was  besieged  by  t  he 
holders  of  Diamond  Company  stock,  and  thr  tact 
of  their  absence  was  then  clearly  established. 
The  servants  had  been  paid  off  by  Madame  Sevier 
a  day  or  two  before,  and  no  one  remained  in  the 
house  except  Lesparre.  To  all  inquirers  he  gave 
the  same  answer  as  he  had  given  at  the  fete :  he 
was  entirely  ignorant  of  the  whereabouts  of  the 
Don,  and  was  as  anxious  as  any  one  else  to  find 
him,  in  order  to  obtain  his  last  quarter's  salary, 
which  was  unpaid.  The  affair  was  a  nine-days' 
wonder,  and  the  mystery  was  still  further  in- 
creased in  the  minds  of  the  stockholders  on  re- 
ceiving a  note  from  Judge  Key  requesting  their 
attendance  at  a  meeting  to  settle  their  accounts 
with  Don  Pedro.  The  meeting  was  strictly  con- 
fidential, only  the  actual  purchasers  of  stock  be- 
ing admitted.  Judge  Key  explained  to  them  that 
Don  Pedro  P.  L.  de  Morito  had  been  arrested  and 
carried  away  for  forgery  and  other  crimes,  but 
that,  before  going,  he  had  assigned  all  his  prop- 
erty to  Judge  Key  to  satisfy  the  claims  of  the 
Diamond  Company  stockholders. 

"But  how  did  you  induce  him  to  surrender 
this  money  and  property?"  was  the  question 
which  was  asked  in  various  forms  nearly  a  score 
of  times. 

"  I  cannot  give  you  any  particulars, ':  replied 


A  GRAND   CARNIVAL.  281 

the  Judge;  "  you  must  be  satisfied  t  :>  know  that 
he  made  this  assignment  in  due  legal  form,  and 
that  the  amount  which  I  shall  realize  will  pay 
your  claims  nearly  in  full.  The  slight  loss  which 
you  will  sustain  will  be  serviceable  as  a  warning 
against  throwing  away  your  money  so  recklessly 
hereafter." 

The  letter  of  Donna  Lucia  to  Mr.  Henry  0. 
Mather  was  delivered  to  that  gentleman  early 
the  day  after  the  fete.  Immediately  on  reading 
it  he  packed  his  trunk  and  took  the  next  train 
for  New  York.  Meantime  the  party  under  the 
charge  of  Mr.  Bangs  arrived  in  New  York  with- 
out accident  Thursday  afternoon.  In  accordance 
with  telegrams  sent  by  the  Peruvian  Minister, 
the  captain  of  the  Peruvian  man-of-war  had 
taken  his  vessel  down  into  the  lower  harbor,  and 
was  ready  to  sail  at  a  moment's  notice.  A  steam- 
tug  was  in  readiness  at  Pier  1  to  take  the  party 
out  to  the  vessel,  and  Don  Pedro  was  transferred 
by  carriage  directly  from  the  Hudson  Eiver  Kail- 
road  depot  to  the  steam-tug.  The  party  accom- 
panied him  on  board  the  man-of-war,  and  the 
tug  towed  the  war-ship  through  the  Nar- 
rows. 

The  Don  and  Donna  had  an  affectionate  and 
sorrowful  parting  in  the  cabin,  and  as  the  ship 
made  sail  outside  the  bar,  the  tug  dropped  along- 
side; the  Minister,  Consul,  JJonna  Lucia,  Madame 
Sevier,  and  the  detectives,  leaving  the  Don  in 
charge  of  the  captain,  then  returned  to  New 
York  in  the  tug. 


282  A  GRAND  CARNIVAL. 

Two  days  later,  Mr.  Mather  also  arrived  in 
that  city,  and  quickly  found  his  way  to  the  Don- 
na's presence.  What  they  said  to  each  other 
may  never  be  known,  but  it  is  probable  that 
the  interview  was  satisfactory  to  both  parties. 
Thenceforward  the  Donna  lived  in  New  York  in 
the  best  style,  though  for  some  reason  she  failed 
to  enter  the  same  social  circle  that  she  had 
known  before.  As  long,  however,  as  she  and 
Mr.  Mather  were  contented,  they  considered  that 
no  one  else  need  be  troubled  about  their  arrange- 
ments. How  long  Mr.  Mather's  infatuation 
lasted,  I  have  no  means  of  knowing,  as  I  soon 
recalled  Madame. Sevier,  and  lost  all  interest  in 
the  affair. 

Jose  Gomez  was  tried  immediately  on  his  arri- 
val in  Peru,  and  was  sentenced  to  fifteen  years' 
imprisonment,  but  he  made  his  escape  within 
two  years  from  the  time  of  his  trial.  His  future 
career  I  never  learned,  but  it  is  altogether  prob- 
able that  he  pursued,  during  the  remainder  of  his 
life,  the  same  style  of  money-making  (though 
perhaps  on  a  smaller  scale)  as  that  which  ren- 
dered notorious  the  name  of  Don  Pedro  P.  L. 
de  Morito, 


THE  END. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Mr.  Pinkerton,  at  a  Water-  Ciire,  becomes  interested  in  a 
Couple,  one  of  whom  subsequently  causes  the  Detec- 
tive Operation  from  which  this  Story  is  written. — 
A  wealthy  Ship- Owner  and  his  Son. — The  Son 
"found  dead." — A  Woman  that  knows  too  much 
and  too  little  by  turns. — Mr.  PinJcerton  secured  to 
solve  the  Mystery. —  Chicago  after  the  Great  Fire. 

DURING  the  summer  of  1870, 1  was  spending 
a  few  weeks  at  a  water-cure  for  the  benefit 
of  my  health.  The  place  was  one  not  widely  ad- 
vertised nor  generally  known,  and  the  number  of 
frequenters  was  not  large;  hence,  I  became  some- 
what acquainted  with  most  of  the  visitors,  and, 
as  a  matter  of  habit,  noticed  their  traits  and  pe- 
culiarities with  more  attentiveness  than  a  casual 
meeting  would  naturally  warrant.  Of  course  I 
had  no  idea  that  I  ever  should  make  any  use  of 
my  observations,  but  I  simply  kept  up  a  cus- 
tomary oversight  upon  everything  about  me. 
Among  those  whom  I  thus  noticed  was  a  lady.. 
about  forty -five  years  of  age,  and  her  son,  who 
was  about  twenty-six  years  old.  The  moth  or. 
Mrs.  R.  S.  Trafton,  was  a  pleasant  woman,  well 
preserved,  and  comparatively  youthful  in  appear 


284:  THE  SHIP-OWNER  AND  HIS  SON. 

ance.  She  was  afflicted  by  a  rheumatic  affection, 
which  caused  her  to  visit  these  springs  for  relief; 
and  her  son  accompanied  her  partly  to  look  after 
her  comfort,  and  partly  to  obtain  a  vacation  from 
work.  He  was  a  tall,  robust  young  man,  with 
fine  physique  and  strong  constitution,  but  he 
showed  the  effects  of  overwork.  I  always  make 
a  point  of  observing  the  character  and  habits  of 
those  around  me,  and  long  experience  has  given 
me  considerable  accuracy  of  judgment  with  re- 
gard to  my  acquaintances,  even  where  I  am  not 
an  intimate  associate  with  them.  The  more  I 
saw  of  Stanley  D.  Trafton,  the  more  I  was  inter- 
ested in  him.  His  mother  was  devoted  to  him, 
and  he  to  her,  so  that  they  were  rarely  seen 
apart. 

Springville  was  a  very  quiet,  dull  place,  and, 
aside  from  the  invalid  visitors,  there  was  nothing 
about  the  society  to  relieve  the  usual  monotony 
of  an  uninteresting  country  town;  hence,  I  wns 
thrown  largely  upon  my  own  resources  for  amuse- 
ment, and  I  had  little  else  to  do  except  to  observe 
the  different  strangers  and  speculate'  about  them. 
Among  them  all  there  were  none  who  afforded 
me  a  more  interesting  study  than  young  Trafton, 
and,  although  I  never  formed  his  acquaintance, 
I  began  to  feel  that  I  understood  his  character 
quite  thoroughly. 

He  was  about  five  feet  ten  inches  in  height,  of 
compact,  muscular  build,  full  chest,  stout  limbs, 
and  erect  carriage.  His  complexion  was  clear 
and  healthy,  his  features  regular,  his  expression 


THE  SHIP-OWNER  AND  HIS  SON.  265 

intelligent  and  open,  and  his  manners  were  very 
frank  and  attractive  to  most  people.  His  general 
appearance  was  that  of  an  intelligent,  handsome 
man,  of  more  than  ordinary  ability  and  steady 
character. 

I  learned  that  his  father,  Mr.  Richard  S. 
Trafton,  of  Cleveland,  was  a  wealthy  ship-owner 
and  merchant,  and  that  his  son  attended  largely 
to  the  purchase  of  grain  in  the  West  for  ship- 
ment in  his  father's  vessels.  I  judged  that 
young  Trafton  was  a  good  business  man,  with 
an  eye  to  details  as  well  as  general  results,  and 
while  he  had  no  appearance  of  being  small- 
minded,  he  did  not  despise  economy  in  his 
business  affairs.  He  did  not  seem  like  a  person 
who  would  spend  money  for  mere  display  or 
effect;  yet,  neither  would  he  deny  himself  the 
comforts  and  luxuries  belonging  to  a  man  of  his 
wealth  and  position  in  society.  There  was 
nothing  of  the  profligate  about  him,  and  his 
devotion  to  his  mother  showed  that  he  must 
have  a  genuine  and  hearty  respect  for  the  whole 
sex. 

In  the  course  of  a  few  weeks  I  left  Springville, 
much  improved  in  health,  and  I  soon  forgot  all 
about  Mrs.  Trafton  and  her  son,  until  the  latter 
was  brought  under  my  notice  again  amid  very 
tragical  ami  sorrowful  < ircumstances. 

Early  in  the  winter  of  the  following  year,  I 
was  deeply  engrossed  in  business,  having  an  ac- 
cumulation of  cases  on  hand  which  taxed  my  in- 
genuity and  energies  to  the  utmost.  I  therefore 


286  THE  SHIP-OWNER  AND  HIS  SON. 

placed  almost  all  of  the  less  important  operations 
in  the  hands  of  my  superintendent,  Mr.  Francis 
Warner,  though  I  kept  a  general  supervisory 
control  over  every  case  on  the  books  of  the 
Agency.  One  morning,  as  I  was  conversing  with 
Mr.  Warner,  two  gentlemen  were  admitted  to  my 
office  by  my  confidential  clerk,  who  informed  me 
that  they  had  suspicions  of  foul  play  as  the  cause 
of  the  death  of  one  of  their  friends,  and  they 
wished  the  circumstances  fully  investigated  by 
the  Agency.  The  gentlemen  were  Mr.  John  Up- 
dike, of  Cleveland,  and  Captain  Edward  R.  Dai- 
ton,  a  ship  captain,  of  Buffalo.  They  introduced 
themselves,  produced  credentials  and  references, 
and  then  told  me  the  following  story: 

In  November  previous,  Mr.  Stanley  D.  Trafton, 
of  Cleveland,  left  that  city  to  go  to  Chicago.  He 
was  the  son  of  Mr.  Richard  S.  Trafton,  a  wealthy 
shipper  of  Cleveland,  and  the  father  was  anxious 
to  keep  his  vessels  employed.  Captain  Dalton 
commanded  one  of  Mr.  Trafton's  schooners,  and 
he  expected  to  arrive  in  Chicago  harbor  about 
November  20.  Accordingly,  young  Trafton  was 
to  meet  the  vessel  there,  and,  in  case  she  did  not 
obtain  a  charter  at  a  paying  rate,  he  was  to  pur- 
chase a  cargo  of  oats  on  his  own  account.  He 
brought,  therefore,  a  considerable  amount  of 
money  and  negotiable  paper.  He  had  about 
eight  hundred  dollars  in  currency,  two  thousand 
five  hundred  dollars  in  United  States  five-twenty 
bonds,  and  a  letter  from  his  father  authorizing 
him  to  draw  upon  him  for  a  large  amount.  The 


THE  SHIP-OWNER  AND  HIS  SON.  287 

bonds  were  the  usual  coupon  bonds  of  the  de- 
nomination of  five  hundred  dollars  each,  and  for- 
tunately Mr.  Trafton,  senior,  had  the  numbeis  of 
these  securities. 

Stanley  Trafton  arrived  in  Chicago  November 
22,  and  found  the  schooner  awaiting  him.  He 
tried  to  obtain  a  room  in  one  of  the  hotels,  but 
he  soon  gave  this  up  as  a  hopeless  task,  for  the 
reason  that  there  was  no  hotel  in  the  city  which 
was  hot  already  crowded  almost  to  an  unsafe  de- 
gree. He  then  took  up  his  quarters  on  board  the 
schooner,  getting  his  meals  at  a  restaurant.  This 
was  not  at  all  pleasant,  and  he  finally  discovered 
a  place  where  furnished  rooms  were  to  let  near 
one  of  the  hotels.  He  therefore  announced  to 
Captain  Dalton  that  he  had  taken  a  room  at  92 
West  Madison  street.  They  met  each  other  every 
day,  however,  and  at  last,  seeing  no  profit  to  be 
made  by  purchasing  grain  in  the  then  condition 
of  the  market,  Mr.  Trafton  informed  the  captain 
that  he  might  sail  for  Cleveland  on  Friday,  De  • 
cember  1.  On  Thursday  he  visited  the  captain 
and  promised  to  return  on  board  again  that  even- 
ing; he  failed  to  do  so,  however,  and  the  schooner 
sailed  next  morning. 

Five  days  afterward,  Captain  Dalton  received  a 
dispatch,  sent  by  a  firm  of  commission  merchants 
in  Chicago,  announcing  that  Stanley  D.  Trafton 
had  been  found  dead  in  his  bed.  Mr.  Updike, 
who  was  a  warm  friend  of  the  family,  and  Cap- 
tain  Dalton,  then  visited  Chicago,  arriving  De- 
cember 8.  They  found  the  body  of  Mr.  Trafton 


288  THE   SHIP  OWNER  AND  HIS  SON. 

at  the  Morgue  awaiting  claimants,  together  with 
a  quantity  of  valuables  which  had  been  in  his 
possession  when  he  died.  There  were  two  five- 
twenty  bonds,  one  being  torn  in  two  pieces,  a  set 
of  diamond  studs,  a  small  amount  of  loose  change, 
and  three  one-hundred-dollar  bills.  A  coroner's 
inquest  had  been  held,  and  a  verdict  of  death  by 
congestion  of  the  lungs  had  been  rendered. 

The  circumstances  of  young  Trafton's  death, 
as  related  by  the  officials  in  charge  of  the  body, 
created  considerable  suspicion  in  the  minds  of 
Messrs.  Updike  and  Dalton,  who,  therefore,  pro- 
ceeded to  investigate  the  affair.  In  the  first 
place,  they  were  well  aware  that  fifteen  hundred 
dollars  in  bonds,  and  nearly  five  hundred  dollars 
in  currency,  were  missing;  secondly,  they  learned 
that  Trafton  had  been  found  dead  in  bed  Friday 
morning,  December  1,  only  about  eighteen  hours 
after  he  had  left  Captain  Dalton  in  perfect 
health. 

Accordingly,  Mr.  Updike  and  Captain  Dalton 
visited  his  late  lodging-place,  which  was  kept  by 
a  woman  named  May  Sanford. 

The  building  was  a  two-story  frame  residence, 
which,  like  thousands  of  others  after  the  Great 
Fire,  had  been  rearranged  for  business  purposes. 
The  lower  floor  was  occupied  as  a  furniture  store, 
while  the  second  floor  was  also  partly  occupied 
by  business  offices.  A  covered  stairway  on  the 
side  led  to  the  upper  story,  and,  while  the  front 
hall  bedroom,  the  front  parlor  and  the  next 
room  back,  were  used  as  offices,  the  rear  portion 


SHIP-OWNER  AND   HIS  SON. 

was  occupied  by  Mrs.  Sanford,  who  rented  most 
of  her  rooms  as  sleeping  apartments. 

On  stating  their  object  in  calling,  the  two 
gentlemen  were  admitted  to  Mrs.  Sanford's  sit- 
ting-room, and  she  then  gave  her  account  of  the 
circumstances  connected  with  young  Trafton's 
death.  She  stated  that  she  met  him  first  011  the 
street  and  recognized  him  as  an  old  acquaintance 
who  had  been  intimate  with  her  husband  and 
herself  when  they  lived  in  Buffalo;  that  he  stopped 
and  talked  with  her  for  a  time,  and,  learning  that 
she  had  furnished  rooms  to  let,  he  said  he  would 
rent  one.  He  stayed  there  five  days,  and,  on  the 
sixth,  which  was  Thursday,  November  30,  he 
came  to  his  room  in  the  evening  and  complained 
of  feeling  unwell.  He  had  been  drinking  veiy 
hard  all  the  week,  and  she  said  that  this  evening 
he  was  quite  drunk.  He  complained  that  he 
could  not  keep  anything  on  his  stomach,  and 
asked  Mrs.  Sanford  to  cook  something  nice  for 
him.  Accordingly  she  -boiled  a  chicken,  but  he 
could  not  eat  it,  and  he  'then  went  to  bed.  Dur- 
ing the  evening,  she  heard  him  snoring  very 
loudly  as  she  passed  his  door,  but  she  thought 
nothing  of  it,  and  went  to  bed  at  eleven  o'clock. 
About  seven  o'clock  next  morning,  she  knocked 
at  his  door,  but  he  made  no  answer,  and  she 
pushed  the  door  open,  the  bolt  being  a  very  slight 
one.  She  then  found  Mr.  Trafton  lying  diago- 
nally across  the  bed,  with  his  head  hanging  down 
and  froth  on  his  lips.  Becoming  alarmed  at  his 
appearance,  she  called  in  a  gentleman  named 

13 


290  THE  SHIP-OWNER  AND  HIS  SON. 

Taylor  G.  Pratt,  who  occupied  her  back  parlor  ;is 
a  real  estate  office  and  sleeping-room.  Mr.  Pratt 
examined  the  body  of  Mr.  Trafton  and  told  her 
that  he  was  dead,  advising  her  to  inform  Iho 
police  authorities  of  the  fact.  She  immediately 
closed  the  room  and  went  to  the  nearest  police 
station,  where  she  reported  the  circumstances 
relative  to  the  death  of  Mr.  Trafton  so  far  as  she 
knew  them,  and  asked  what  she  should  do  with 
the  body.  The  police  sergeant  promised  to  send 
the  coroner  as  soon  as  possible  to  make  an  investi- 
gation, and  she  was  instructed  to  leave  the  body 
and  room  untouched  until  the  coroner  should 
arrive.  That  evening  an  inquest  was  held  by  the 
County  Physician,  and  a  verdict  of  death  by 
congestion  of  the  lungs  was  rendered.  Mrs. 
Sanford  gave  an  account  of  the  finding  of  the 
money  and  bonds,  which  exactly  agreed  with 
that  given  by  the  County  Physician,  whom  she 
assisted  in  making  search  for  Trafton's  valuables. 
In  one  boot,  lying  under  his  head,  they  found  a 
five-twenty  bond  for  five  hundred  dollars  and 
half  of  another  one,  the  remainder  of  this  tora 
bond  being  found  in  the  right-hand  pocket  of  his 
pantaloons.  In  his  vest  pocket  were  found  three 
United  States  notes  for  one  hundred  dollars  each, 
and  a  small  quantity  of  loose  change.  A  set  of 
diamond  studs  still  remained  in  his  shirt,  and,  as 
the  story  was  related  by  her,  there  was  nothing 
suspicious  about  the  affair  except  the  suddenness 
of  his  death. 
Having  heavd  all  that  Mrs.  Sanford  and  the 


THE  SHIP-OWNER  AND  HIS  SON.  291 

County  Physician  had  to  say  on  the  subject,  Mr. 
Updike  and  Captain  Dalton  took  charge  of  the 
body,  and  si  lipped  it  to  Cleveland,  where  the} 
placed  it  in  the  hands  of  four  experienced  sur- 
geons, with  instructions  to  make  a  thorough  and 
oful  examination  as  to  the  cause  of  death. 
The  first  thing  noticed  by  them  was  an  evidence 
of  considerable  external  violence  on  the  right 
side,  over  the  liver,  there  being  a  large  bruise, 
about  the  size  of  a  saucer,  apparently  caused  by 
a  blow.  The  coagulation  of  blood  beneath  the 
skin  showed  that  this  injury  must  have  been 
caused  during  Trafton's  lifetime,  but  very 
shortly  before  his  death.  A  similar,  though 
smaller  bruise,  was  found  on  his  thigh,  while  sev- 
eral bruises  on  the  base  of  the  neck  and  throat 
showed  that  the  windpipe  must  have  been 
severely  compressed  just  previous  to  death. 
None  of  these  marks  had  been  noticed  by  the 
County  Physician  in  making  the  post-mortem 
examination,  and  it  seemed  probable  that  he  had 
first  guessed  at  the  cause  of  death,  and  then 
made  only  a  sufficient  examination  to  find  some 
corroboration  of  his  theory.  The  Cleveland  sur- 
geons had  great  difficulty  in  accounting  for  Traf- 
ton's death,  but  they  were  unanimous  in  scout- 
ing the  theory  of  death  by  congestion  of  the 
lungs  They  found  the  body  to  be  healthy  in 
every  part,  except  the  external  bruises  ;  and, 
while  these  were  not  of  a  sufficiently  serious 
character  to  account  for  the  death  of  so  robust  a 
man,  they  could  find  no  other  cause  whatever 


292  THE  SHIP-OWNER  AND  HIS  SON. 

These  facts,  together  with  the  disappearance  of 
fifteen  hundred  dollars  in  bonds,  and  about  five 
hundred  dollars  in  currency,  which  Traf ton  was 
'known  to  have  had  in  his  possession,  caused  his 
relatives  and  friends  to  believe  that  he  had  been 
mmdered  for  his  money,  and  that  the  murderei 
had  been  shrewd  enough  to  leave  a  large  portion 
of  the  plunder  to  allay  suspicion.  The  trick  had 
proven  to  be  a  most  excellent  one,  for,  as  the 
County  Physician  afterward  acknowledged,  the 
idea  of  foul  play  never  occurred  to  him,  owing  to 
the  apparent  lack  of  incentive  thereto;  had  there 
been  no  money,  or  only  a  small  amount,  found 
on  the  body,  he  would  have  made  a  much  more 
rigid  examination;  but  no  suspicion  even  crossed 
his  mind,  and  he  acted  with  the  haste  which 
characterized  almost  all  operations  in  Chicago  at 
that  time. 

In  order,  therefore,  to  discover  all  the  facts  in 
the  case,  and  to  recover,  if  possible,  the  mis- 
sing money  and  bonds,  Mr.  Trafton,  senior,  had 
decided  to  put  the  affair  in  my  hands  for  a 
thorough  investigation,  and  Mr.  Opdike  and  Cap- 
tain Dalton  had  called  upon  me  for  that  purpose. 

Having  heard  their  statement,  I  asked  a  num- 
ber of  questions,  which  •  elicited  the  following 
additional  information: 

On  returning  to  Chicago  the  second  time,  they 
had  again  visited  Mrs.  Sanford,  and  found  that 
she  had  taken  every  particle  of  furniture  out  of 
the  room  where  Trafton  had  died.  At  the  time 
of  their  call,  they  saw  a  policeman  whom  she 


THE  SHIP-OWNER  AND   HIS  SOX.  293 

called  Charlie,  with  whom  she  seemed  to  be  very 
intimate.  She  said  that  Charlie  was  the  first 
person  to  see  Trafton  after  she  found  he  was 
dead  that  morning,  he  having  been  sent  over  by 
the  sergeant  as  soon  as  she  reported  the  fact. 
This  story  contradicted  her  former  statement, 
that  she  first  called  Mr.  Pratt  into  the  room; 
moreover,  the  sergeant  of  police  had  told  them 
that  the  policeman  did  not  go  to  the  room  at  all, 
but  merely  took  the  number  of  the  house  and 
went  away. 

At  this  interview,  Mrs.  Sanford  gave  them  the 
blank  power  to  draw  upon  Mr.  Trafton,  senior, 
saying  that  she  had  found  it  at  the  foot  of  the 
bed  since  their  former  visit.  She  also  showed 
them  a  gold  coin  which  she  said  young  Trafton 
had  given  her  as  a  keepsake.  Both  gentlemen 
recognized  this  coin  as  one  which  Trafton  prized 
very  highly  for  some  reason,  he  having  refused 
to  part  with  it  even  to  his  mother;  it  seemed 
hardly  possible  that  he  should  have  given  it  to  a 
chance  acquaintance  like  Mrs.  Sanford. 

During  this  conversation  she  claimed  to  have 
lent  Mr.  Trafton  three  hundred  and  twenty-five 
dollars,  though  she  did  not  seem  greatly  disap- 
pointed when  they  refused  to  repay  her  that 
amount.  Mr.  Updike  gave  her  twenty-five  dol- 
lars, however,  to  pay  for  Mr.  Trafton's  board  and 
lodging,  and  to  recompense  her  for  hel-  trouble. 
The  story  that  Trafton  had  borrowed  money  of 
her  was  absurd  on  its  face,  and  she  acted  as  if 
she  hardly  expected  to  be  believed. 


294        ^     THE   SHIP-OWNER  AND  HIS  SON. 


efore  coming  to  Chicago  this  time,  Mr.  Up- 
dike had  written  to  Mr.  T.  B.  Vei-non,  of  Buffalo, 
asking  for  information  relative  to  the  ant' 
ents  of  this  Mrs.  Sanford.  Mr.  Vernon  had  re- 
plied that  she  had  a  very  bad  reputation  in  Buf- 
falo, having  been  divorced  from  her  husband  for 
adultery,  and  having  been  arrested  in  March 
previous  for  being  drunk  and  disorderly.  She 
had  a  paramour  at  that  time,  named  James  Mc- 
Sandy,  a  police-station  keeper,  and  it  was  sup- 
V/posed  that  he  had  gone  West  with  her. 

Another  circumstance  had  been  noticed  by 
Captain  Dalton,  which  led  him  to  believe  that 
Trafton  had  been  murdered  with  his  clothes  on, 
and  afterward  undressed  and  put  to  bed:  the  sole 
of  one  of  his  boots  was  covered  with  whitewash, 
as  if  it  had  been  violently  pressed  and  scraped 
along  a  wall.  Now,  the  room  where  he  was 
found  had  been  newly  whitewashed  when  they 
arrived  there,  so  that  any  marks  on  the  wall 
made  by  him  in  his  struggles  would  (be  wholly 
obliterated. 

Having  learned  all  the  facts  bearing  upon  the 
case  known  by  my  visitors,  I  informed  them  of 
my  terms  for  conducting  an  investigation  of  this 
character,  and  sketched  a  hasty  outline  of  my 
plan  of  operation.  As  they  had  already  hinted 
their  suspicions  to  a  member  of  the  city  detective 

force,  wji QyWBp -"^IJ n ^  ^v-ma fcgjvcrh f.  rvPJJTgjn     I 

^suggested  that  they  inform  him  that  they  had 
changed  their  minds  in  the  matter,  having 
learned  from  the  Cleveland  physicians  that  death 


THE  SHIP-OWNER  AND  HIS  SON.  20? 

/was  surely  caused  by  congestion  of  the  lungs. 
They  then  took  their  departure,  saying  that  they 
would  lay  my  plan  before  Mr.  Richard  S.  Trafton. 
and  he  would  telegraph  to  me  whether  I  should 
proceed  with  the  operation.  On  Christmas  day, 
I  received  a  telegram  from  Mr.  Trafton,  briefly 
instructing  me  to  proceed,  and  my  plan  was  put 
in  operation  at  once. 

Before  proceeding  further  with  the  history  of 
my  connection  with  this  case,  it  will  be  necessary 
to  remind  the  reader  of  the  anomalous  condition 
of  social  and  business  affairs  in  Chicago  at  the 
time  of  which  I  write;  for,  without  any  explana- 
tion, he  might  have  difficulty  in  understanding 
many  things  in  connection  with  the  story. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  Great  Fire  of 
Chicago  occurred  October  8  and  9,  1871,  and  this 
case  was  placed  in  my  hands  only  about  nine 
weeks  afterward.  At  the  time  of  Mr.  Traf ton's 
death,  a  pall  of  smoke  hung  over  the  city,  and,  at 
night,  the  still-smouldering  heaps  of  coal  through- 
out the  ''burned  district"  glowed  like  volcanic 
fissures,  casting  a  weird  fantastic  light  about  the 
ruins,  and  illumining  the  clouds  of  smoke  over- 
head with  a  ruddy  glow  which  was  visible  for 
miles  away.  The  streets  were  filled  with  dust 
and  ashes,  while  the  fumes  of  carbonic  acid  gas 
were  sometimes  almost  stifling.  To  venture  at 
any  time,  into  the  waste  of  ruins,  which  stretched 
more  than  three  miles  in  one  direction,  through 
the  formerly  richest  portion  of  the  city,  was  not 
a  pleasant  undertaking;  but  to  make  such  an  ex- 


296  THE  SHIP-OYVNKK   AND  HIS  SON 

cursion  at  night  was  attended  with  more  hazard 
than  most  peaceably-disposed  men  would  care  to 
run.  There  were  no  gaslights,  no  sidewalks,  no 
street  indicators;  in  many  places,  piles  of  stone 
and  brick  were  heaped  in  almost  impassable  bar- 
ricades from  one  side  of  the  street  to  the  othei ; 
all  landmarks  were  gone,  and  the  old  resident 
was  as  liable  to  lose  his  way  as  the  stranger. 

The  city,  moreover,  was  crowded  with  what 
13  sometimes  called  "a  floating  population,"  a 
species  of  driftwood,  or  scum,  gathered  from 
every  quarter  of  the  globe;  indeed,  a  large  per 
centage  seemed  to  have  come  straight  from  the 
infernal  regions,  with  all  the  passions  and  habits 
incidental  to  a  prolonged  residence  there.  Hence, 
the  labors  of  the  police  force  were  increased  to 
an  extent  which  taxed  their  abilities  to  the 
utmost,  and  made  the  task  of  protecting  the  re- 
spectable portion  of  the  community  about  all  that 
could  be  required  of  them;  that  they  should  be  apt 
to  suspect  foul  play,  in  a  case  where  the  coroner  had 
no  suspicions,  was  hardly  to  be  expected.  Besides 
this,  there  was  nothing  settled  on  any  permanent 
foundation ;  business  men  flitted  hither  and 
thither  wherever  they  could  best  obtain  accom- 
modations for  the  time  being,  and  whence  people 
came  or  whither  they  went  was  a  matter  which 
no  one  had  time  to  inquire  into,  much  less  tc 
investigate. 

-\-  The  destruction  of  thousands  of  business  blocks 
and  dwellings  left  the  city  without  adequate  ac- 
commodations for  offices  and  residences,  even  fo/ 


THE  SHIP-OWNER  AND  HIS  SON.  297 

its  own  regular  population;  but  when  the  rush  of 
strangers  swelled  the  aggregate  nearly  twenty 
per  cent.,  there  seemed  hardly  sleeping-rooms  for 
them  all.  Dwelling-houses  by  thousands  were 
converted  into  stores,  manufactories,  and  offices, 
until  fabulous  prices  were  offered  for  the  merest 
closets  in  the  vicinity  of  the  new  temporary 
business  centers.  Every  hotel  was  thronged 
from  the  basement  to  the  Mansard  roof,  and  late 
arrivals  were  oftentimes  happy  if  they  could  get 
a  straw  mattress  on  a  billiard-table,  or  an  army 
cot  in  a  hall. 

I  call  especial  attention  to  these  things  to  ac- 
count for  certain  apparent  anomalies  in  the 
action  of  different  persons  connected  with  this 
tragedy.  For  instance:  a  young  gentleman  of 
Mr.  Trafton's  wealth  and  respectability  would 
never  have  rented  a  mean  little  room  in  a  petty 
lodging-house,  if  he  could  have  found  any  other 
place  equally  convenient  to  business;  the  County 
Physician  would  not  have  taken  things  so  much 
for  granted,  if  he  had  not  been  so  hard  at  work 
and  so  pressed  for  time,  owing  to  the  immense 
army  of  gratuitous  patients  who  thronged  the 
offices  of  the  County  Agent  and  the  Belief  and 
Aid  Society;  the  police  would  not  have  been  so 
remiss  in  failing  to  examine  into  the  death  of 
Mr.  Trafton,  if  they  had  not  had  their  hands  full 
of  other  business  to  an  unprecedented  extent ; 
and,  lastly,  when  I  came  to  work  up  the  case,  I 
should  not  have  had  so  much  difficulty  in  finding 
witnesses,  if  it  h;ul  not  bcc-n  that  people  canio 


298  THE  DETECTIVES    AT   WORK. 

and  went  through  Chicago  like  the  waves  of  the 
sea  in  mid-ocean,  leaving  no  trace  by  which  they 
could  l>e  followed  or  identified. 

These  circumstances,  combined  with  certain 
facts  which  will  appear  in  the  course  of  this  nar- 
rative, made  the  task  assigned  me  one  of  unusual 
difficulty.  Mr.  Warner  was  intrusted  with  the 
general  management  of  the  case,  though  he  fre- 
quently consulted  me  in  relation  to  it ;  and, 
though  we  were  continually  working  in  the 
dark,  we  never  despaired  of  our  eventual  suc- 
cess. 


CHAPTER  II. 

The  Detectives  at  Work. — Mrs.  /Sanford  Described. — 
Charlie,  the  Policeman. — Mrs.  Sanford  develops 
Interest  in  Government  Bonds. —  Chicago  Rdnf 
and  Aid  Benefits. — Mrs.  Sanford 's  Story  of  Traf- 
ton's  Death. — A.  nice  little  Arrangement. — Mr*. 
Sanford  explains  to  the  Detective  her  method  of 
"  Quieting  People.  " — Ingham  "Makes  a  Raise." — 
Mrs.  Sanford  fears  being  Haunted,  but  is  not  easily 
Frightened. 

THE  day  after  Christmas  a  tall,  well-built  man 
called  at  No.  92  Madison  street,  and  asked 
for  the  lady  of  the  house.  Mrs.  Sanford  soon 
entered  the  sitting-room,  and  the  stranger  said 
that,  having  seen  the  sign,  ''Furnished  Rooms 
to  Rent,"  he  had  called  to  engage  lodgings.  He 
introduced  himself  as  John  Ingham,  and  said 


THE  DETECTIVES  AT  WORK.  299 

-that  he  was  a  book-keeper,  temporarily  out  of 
employment.  Mrs.  Sanford  received  him  with 
great  cordiality,  and  seemed  much  pleased  to  have 
him  as  a  lodger.  She  said  that  she  had  no  suit- 
able room  just  then,  but  that  a  married  couple 
were  about  to  leave,  and  then  Mr.  Ingham  could 
have  their  room.  She  then  showed  him  through 
the  house.  The  two  front  rooms  were  occupied 
by  an  insurance  company,  and  the  back  parlor 
was  used  as  a  real  estate  office  and  sleeping-room 
by  two  brothers,  named  Pratt.  At  the  head  of 
the  stairs  was  a  small  bedroom,  through  which 
it  was  necessary  to  pass  to  obtain  admission  to 
the  rear  part  of  the  house.  The  passageway 
from  this  bedroom  to  the  sitting-room  was  made 
by  partitioning  off  a  small  entry  from  the  back 
parlor.  There  were  four  doors  in  this  sitting- 
room:  one  opened  from  the  entry;  at  the  opposite 
side  was  one  which  opened  into  another  entry; 
the  third  was  adjoining  this  second  door,  and  it 
opened  into  the  large  bedroom  occupied  by  the 
married  couple;  the  fourth  door  led  into  Mrs. 
Sanford's  own  room.  At  the  end  of  the  back 
entry  was  an  unfurnished  room  and  a  kitchen. 
The  front  bedroom  was  occupied  by  two  younu; 
women  who  worked  in  a  bindery,  and  their  ac 
commodations  could  hardly  have  been  very  agree- 
able, as  every  one  was  obliged  to  pass  through 
their  room  on  the  way  to  the  other  rooms  in  the 
rear. 

Mrs.  Sanford  was  a  good-looking  woman,  about 
thirty  i\vo   y<>;irs  old.     Her  features  were  quite 


300  THE   DETECTIVES   AT   WORK. 

pretty,  and  her  expression  was  pleasing.  Sh<» 
was  very  plump,  and  her  skin  was  smooth  and 
soft.  She  had  brown  hair,  a  nose  slightly 
retrousse,  and  a  pleasant  smile.  Her  eyes,  how- 
ever, were  a  bluish  gray,  cold  and  ivatchful  as 
those  of  a  hawk.  She  might  have  been  called 
handsome  but  for  the  effects  of  dissipation, 
which  were  plainly  visible  in  her  face.  She  had 
a  pleasant  voice,  and  she  was  naturally  easy  in 
her  manners.  If  she  was  in  a  good  humor,  she 
could  be  quite  fascinating;  and  almost  any  stran- 
ger, after  talking  with  her  for  a  few  minutes, 
would  feel  satisfied  that  she  had  once  occupied  a 
social  station  far  above  that  in  which  she  was 

HOW  placed.      Shft  h^  a.  good  odnrnfirmj  nnrl  vpry 

frequently  she  would  give  evidences  of  having  had 
ajwide  range  of  reallv~  good  reading;  AFTimes. 
fier  recitations  and  declamations,  wholly  from 
memory,  were  exceptionally  fine,  and,  but  for 
her  two  ruling  passions,  she  might  have  been  arx 
actress  of  a  high  rank. 

She  had  two  controlling  vices,  one  natural,  the 
other  acquired:  her  greed  for  money  was  inborn, 
and  it  seemed  to  absorb  at  times  every  other 
faculty;  while  the  habit  of  using  morphine  had 
become  so  fastened  upon  her,  that  she  could  no  I" 
shake  it  off .  She  was  a  most  contradictory  med- 
ley of  compounds,  however,  and  while  her  thirst 
for  money  seemed  to  overpower  all  other  consid- 
erations with  her  as  a  general  rule,  on  some  occa 
sions  she  would  be  as  wasteful  and  careless  of 
expense  as  the  most  prodigal  woman  in  the 


THE  DETECTIVES  AT  WORK.  301 

But  when  she  had  set  her  mind  on  the 
'acquisition  of  any  particular  money  or  piece  ot 
personal  property,  there  was  no  length  to  which 
she  would  not  go  to  attain  her  object.  The  mere 
sight  of  money  seemed  to  act  upon  her  with  an 
effect  almost  of  insanity,  and  she  would  then 
have  no  regard  for  consequences  until  after  she 
hud  secured  the  coveted  prize. 

It  will  be  readily  understood,  of  course,  that 
Mr.  John  Ingham,  usually  known  as  Jack,  was 
one  of  my  detectives,  sent  to  obtain  lodging  with 
Mrs.  Sanford,  to  win  her  confidence  and  learn  all 
that  he  could. 

Ingham  agreed  to  take  the  large  room  in  the 
rear,  but  he  wanted  to  come  immediately.  Mrs. 
Sanford  agreed,  therefore,  to  make  up  a  bed  for 
him  on  the  sofa  in  the  sitting-room  until  the  de- 
parture of  Mr. 'and  Mrs.  Graves,  who  were  then 
occupying  the  back  room.  Having  agreed  upon 
the  terms,  Ingham  went  away,  promising  to  re- 
turn that  night.  Accordingly,  he  came  in  again 
,  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  found  that 
Mrs.  Sanford  was  entertaining  a  policeman.  He 
was  a  rather  good-looking  fellow,  and  was  in  full 
uniform,  except  his  star.  He  remained  until 
nearly  twelve  o'clock,  and  when  he  went  out, 
Mrs.  Sanford  followed  him  to  the  door,  with 
many  affectionate  caresses  and  tender  remarks. 
After  he  had  gone,  she  began  to  converse  vcrj 
confidentially  with  Ingham,  tellrig  him  that  she- 
was  engaged  to  be  married  to  Charlie,  trie  police- 
man. 


THE  DETECTIVES  AT  WORK. 

"Don't  you  think  a  policeman  is  good  enough 

marry  ? "  she  asked. 

"  Oh,  yes  ! "  replied  Ingham,  "  and  your  Charlie 
seems  to  be  a  fine  fellow." 

"Well,  he  is  awfully  fond  of  me,"  she  contin 
ued,  ''and  he  spends  all  his  time  off  duty  with 
me  ;  but  I  don't  know  whether  I  care  to  marry 
him.    What  do  you  think  about  it,  Mr.  Ingham  '.  " 

"  You  ought  not  to  be  in  any  hurry  about  it," 
he  replied,  "for  you  might  see  some  one  whom 
you  would  like  better." 

"Oh!  I  have  had  a  number  of  offers  lately,  "she 
said,  laughing.  "  I  have  had  to  work  hard  for  a 
living,  and  have  saved  up  quite  a  good  sum;  and, 
besides  that,  my  father  sent  me  two  thousand 
dollars  a  short  time  ago,  so  that  I  have  a  snug 
little  fortune.  But  Charlie  doesn't  know  any- 
thing about  it,  and  I  shan't  tell  him  until  after  we 
are  married." 

After  some  further  conversation,  she  said  that 
she  was  hungry,  and  wished  she  had  some  one  to 
go  to  the  nearest  restaurant  with.  Ingham  vol- 
unteered to  act  as  her  escort,  and  they  went  out 
together.  While  eating  supper,  she  suddenly 
asked  whether  government  bonds  were  good 
property  to  invest  in.  Ingham  replied  that  they 
were  very  good  indeed,  since  the  interest  was 
payable  in  gold,  and  there  were  no  taxes  to  pay 
upon  them. 

"Well,  suppose  you  should  lose  them,"  she 
queried;  "could  any  one  who  found  them  make 
use  of  them  without  being  discovered?" 


THE  DETECTIVES  AT  WORK.  303 

"Yes,  I  think  so,'  said  Ingham.  "There  is  no 
means  of  learning  how  they  came  into  the  bear- 
er's possession." 

"  Did  you  ever  own  any?"  she  inquired. 

"No,  but  I  used  to  cash  the  coupons  for  my 
employer  in  Louisville,  and  I  know  a  good  deal 
about  them." 

"What  business  were  you  in  there  ? "  she  asked, 
with  a  considerable  show  of  interest. 

"I  was  bookkeeper  for  a  wholesale  liquor 
firm,  and  the  senior  partner  used  to  put  all  his 
money  into  government  bonds." 

"Why  did  you  leave  Louisville?"  she  contin- 
ued, seemingly  desirous  of  learning  as  much  as 
possible  of  his  history. 

"  Oh .!  well,  I  got  hard  up,"  he  replied,  evasive- 
ly, "  and  there  was  some  mistake  in  my  accounts 
which  I  couldn't  explain  satisfactorily,  so  I 
thought  best  to  go  out  of  town  for  awhile.  You 
know  we  are  all  liable  to  mistakes  when  we  are 
hard  up." 

"Yes,  indeed,  I  understand,"  she  replied,  in  a 
satisfied  tone  of  voice.  "  What  are  you  going  to 
do  here  ? " 

11  Well,  I  can't  tell  yet.  I  have  a  small  job  of 
closing  up  a  set  of  books  for  the  year,  and  when 
that  is  done  I  shall  look  around  for  something 
else.  I'm  not  particular  what  I  do,  if  it  pays 
wrll." 

••  Perhaps  you  could  get  employment  from  the 
Relief  and  Aid  Society/'  she  said,  "and  then  you 
could  get  lots  of  nice  things  for  me.  This  man, 


304:  THE  DETECTIVES  AT   WORK. 

Graves,  whose  room  you  are  to  have,  is  em- 
ployed there,  and  he  steals  enough  to  keep  the 
woman  who  is  with  him  in  good  style." 

"Why,  aren't  they  married?"  asked  •  Ing- 
ham. 

"  No,  I  don't  believe  they  are  married,"  she  re- 
plied, "  and  I've  given  them  notice  to  leave.  Mr. 
Graves  gets  hardly  any  pay,  but  he  brings  her 
all  kinds  of  .presents,  and  she  sells  them  to  the 
pawnbrokers." 

On  their  return  to  the  house,  Mrs.  Sanford 
made  up  a  bed  on  the  sofa  for  Ingham,  and  then 
went  to  her  room. 

The  day  following,  Ingham  went  down  to  his 
work  on  the  South  Side,  and  did  not  return  until 
eight  o'clock  in  the  evening.  He  said  -that  he 
knew  of  a  chance  to  buy  a  cigar  stand  in  one  of 
the  leading  hotels,  and  that  he  would  like  to  do 
it  if  he  could  raise  the  money.  Mrs.  Sanford 
seemed  to  have  taken  a  great  fancy  to  her  new 
lodger,  for  she  told  him  that  she  would  assist 
him,  if  it  did  not  cost  too  much. 

"  By  the  way,  I  was  sorry  you  were  not  here 
this  afternoon,"  she  said.  "There  was  a  very 
pretty  young  lady  friend  of  mine  here,  and  I 
would  like  to  have  you  meet  her." 

"  What  was  her  name  ?' 

"  Ida  Musgrove." 

"  Have  you  known  her  long  ? " 

"  Oh  !  no  ;  I  have  only  lived  in  Chicago  a  few 
months.  I  used  to  live  in  Cleveland  before  I 
(Separated  from  my  husband,  and  we  had  a  fine 
stone-front  house  there." 


fHE   DETECTIVES  AT  WORK.  305 

"How  did  you  happen  to  leave  your  hus- 
tyand  ?"  asked  Ingham. 

"  Well,  he  began  running  after  other  women, 
rid,  though  I  forgave  him  several  times,  when 
e  brought  his  mistress  to  live  in  the  same  house 

ith  me,  I  left  him." 

"  He  must  have  been  a  very  hard  case  to  do 
uch  a  thing  as  that,"  said  Ingham,  sympathiz- 

ngly. 

Yes;  and  then  he  sold  the  house,  promising 
to  give  me  half  if  I  would  sign  the  deed  ;  but  he 
never  gave  me  a  cent,  so  that  I  have  had  to  work 
hard  to  support  myself  and  my  little  girl,  who  is 
boarding  at  Riverside.  However,  I  am  all  right 
now,  for  my  father  sent  me  three  thousand  dol- 
lars the  other  day,  and  I  shall  have  plenty  of 
money  hereafter." 

11  Hadn't  you  any  friends  here  who  would  have 
helped  you? "  asked  Ingham. 

"  No,  I  hardly  knew  any  one;  but  I  met  an  old 
friend  from  Cleveland  about  a  month  ago,  and  he 
died  here  in  my  house.  Haven't  I  told  you  about 
that?" 

u  No,  indeed  ;  how  was  it  ? " 

"  Well,  you  see,  this  Mr.  Trafton  was  a  former 
lover  of  mine  in  Cleveland,  and  he  was  very  rich 
and  handsome.  He  came  here  last  month  and 
took  the  back  room  in  my  house.  He  was  very 
kind  to  me,  and  wanted  to  marry  me;  but  he 
drank  hard  for  a  week  and  began  to  show  the 
effects  of  his  dissipation.  Finally,  he  came  home 
one  evening  quite  drunk,  and  he  complained  of 


THE  DETECTIVES   AT  WORK. 

feeling  sick.  I  boiled  a  chicken  for  him,  but  he 
could  not  eat  it,  and  he  went  to  bed.  Next 
morning  he  did  not  call  me  as  usual,  and  I  went 
to  his  door  and  knocked  ;  there  was  no  answer. 
and  so  I  pushed  open  his  door.  He  was  lying  in 
bed  with  froth  about  his"'  mouth  and  a  ghastly 
look  on  his  face  which  frightened  me  terribly. 
Then  I  called  in  Mr.  Pratt,  who  roomed  in  the 
back  parlor,  and  he  said  that  Mr.  Trafton  was 
dead.  When  the  coroner  came,  we  found  twenty- 
five  thousand  dollars  in  Mr.  Trafton's  pockets, 
besides  his  diamond  studs  and  other  property. 
Oh!  it  was  a  dreadful  thing  for  me  to  think  that 
such  a  handsome  fellow  as  my  Stanley  should  die 
in  my  house." 

"  What  was  the  matter  with  him? "  asked  Ing- 
ham. 

"  The  coroner  held  an  inquest,  and  a  post-mor- 
tem examination  showed  that  he  died  of  conges- 
tion of  the  lungs." 

"Did  you  know  that  he  had  all  that  money 
with  him? "  asked  Ingham,  significantly  lowering 
his  voice. 

"  No,  I  did  not  know  it  until  afterward,"  she 
replied;  "  why  do  you  ask? " 

"  Oh!  for  no  special  reason;  but,"  he  added,  in 
a  determined  way,  "you  might  have  helped  your- 
self to  some  of  that  money  and  no  one  would 
have  been  the  wiser.  I  tell  you,  I  wouldn't  have 
let  such  a  chance  as  that  slip." 

"Well,  I  know  I  might  have  taken  some  of  it," 
she  answered,  thoughtfully,  "but  I  couldn't  steaJ 


THE  DETECTIVES  AT  WORK. 

from  him.  Oh!  I  have  mighty  good  ( .red it 
among  people  here  now,  for  every  one  knows 
about  that  money,  and  that  I  could  have  taken 
it  all  if  I  had  wished.  A  reporter  came  here,  and 
afterward  stated  in  the  paper  that  there  was  only 
a  small  amount,  about  fifteen  hundred  dollars, 
found;  but  I  had  it  corrected." 

She  prattled  on  for  some  time  about  her  inti- 
macy with  Mr.  Traf  ton,  until  she  was  interrupted 
by  a  noise  in  the  hall  bedroom.  On  going  to  seo 
what  was  the  matter,  she  found  the  two  bindery 
girls  in  great  excitement,  as  they  had  been 
awakened  by  a  strange  man  in  their  room.  Ing- 
hani  also  went  to  the  door,  when  Mrs.  Sauford 
told  him  to  get  his  revolver,  as  she  wanted  to 
shoot  any  man  who  should  try  to  break  into  her 
rooms.  No  one  was  found,  but  the  lower  hall 
door  was  open,  and  Ingham  went  down  to  lock 
it.  On  his  return,  Mrs.  Sanford  said  that  she 
had  a  revolver,  and  that  she  knew  how  to  use  it 
too.  It  was  about  midnight  before  they  retired, 
but  Mrs.  Sanford  seemed  to  consider  it  quite  an 
early  hour. 

The  next  day  Ingham  was  again  absent  until 
evening,  and  Mrs.  Sanford  scolded  him  a  little  for 
not  staying  more  time  with  her.  He  replied  that 
he  had  been  out  looking  for  a  chance  to  make  a 
raise. 

"  What  kind  of  a  raise?"  she  asked. 

"  Oh!  any  kind,"  he  replied;  "  I'm  not  particu- 
lar, provided  I  can  get  enough  to  pay  for  the 
trouble.  If  I  know  of  any  good  hiding  place,  1 


THE  DETECTIVES  AT  WORK. 

could  get  a  lot  of  valuable  goods  some  night  with 
out  much  work,  and  with  no  danger." 

"  You  can  brin^  them  here,  and  I  will  hide 
them  so  that  they  will  never  be  found,"  she  re- 
plied, in  a  whisper. 

"That  will  be  a  pretty  hard  thing  to  do,  for 
these  policemen  and  detectives  can  find  almost 
anything  if  they  want  to.  I  shouldn't  like  to 
bring  any  plunder  here  and  then  have  it  found  in 
your  house,  for  you  would  then  be  punished  for 
receiving  stolen  goods. 

"  Never  you  fear  about  me;  I  know  some  sharp 
tricks  if  I  am  a  woman.  I  can  hide  anything  you 
bring,  and  if  they  get  after  you,  I  can  hide  you 
too." 

Iiigham  then  told  her  about  various  criminal 
devices  for  obtaining  money,  which  he  had  prac- 
ticed in  New  York  several  years  before,  and 
called  her  attention  to  the  ease  with  which  they 
might  rob  strangers  by  the  "panel "  game.  She 
was  very  much  interested,  and  said  that  she 
could  easily  get  hold  of  some  fellow  with  plenty 
of  money,  make  him  drunk,  and  then  rob  him. 

"How  I  wish  you  had  been  here  when  Mr. 
Trafton  died,  for  you  could  have  got  away  with 
ten  or  fifteen  thousand  dollars  without  any  diffi- 
culty whatever." 

"  Yes,  it  would  have  been  a  good  chance,"  he 
replied;  "but  I  guess  we  can  do  nearly  as  well, 
if  you  will  be  true  to  me  and  help  me." 

"  You  can  depend  upon  me  for  anything,"  she 
answered,  with  great  determination,  but  adding 


TEE  DETECTIVES  AT  WORK  SOS 

suddenly,  in  a  cautious  tone,  "that  is,  anything 
except  murder,  you  know.  I  shouldn't  like  to  do 
that.  But  I  would  protect  you  even  if  you  should 
kill  a  man — not  willfully — not  willfully,  you  un- 
derstand; but  if  you  should  be  obliged  to  do  it  to 
save  yourself,  I  should  not  blame  you  very 
much." 

"I  am  determined  to  'make  a  raise,'  soon," 
said  Ingham;  "but  I  don't  know  whether  I  can 
trust  you." 

"How  so?"  she  asked,  as  if  greatly  surprised 

"I  am  afraid  you  will  'give  me  away'  to  that 
policeman  whom  you  think  so  much  of." 

"You  need  not  fear  anything  of  the  kind, "she 
said,  leaning  forward,  and  speaking  slowly  and 
emphatically.  "  I  can  help  you  a  great  deal,  and 
I  would  never  betray  you  to  any  one.  I  don't 
think  so  much  of  Charlie  as  I  pretend  to." 

Soon  afterward  she  had  to  go  into  the  unfur- 
nished room  to  get  something,  and  she  asked 
Ingham  to  hold  the  light  for  her. 

"  Why  can't  you  hold  it  yourself  ? "  he  asked. 

"Well,  to  tell  the  truth,  I  don't  like  to  go  into 
thai  room  alone,"  she  replied,  trying  to  laugh  in 
an  unconcerned  way. 

"Why  not?  You  aren't  afraid  of  anything, 
are  you  ? " 

"No,  not  afraid;  but  I  have  never  felt  like  go- 
ing in  there  since  Mr.  Trafton  died  there1.  1  <  ;m- 
not  help  refolUvting  the  way  he  looked  when  1 
first  saw  him  hanging  over  the  bedside,  with  the 
froth  on  his  lips.  I  took  out  all  the  furniture  on 


HO  THE  DETECTIVES  AT  WORK. 

that  account,  but  I  am  going  to  furnish  it  again 
next  week,  as  I  can  get  a  good  rent  for  it." 

Ingham  went  with  her  as  she  requested,  and 
he  noticed  that  all  the  time  she  was  in  the  room 
overhauling  a  trunk  containing  the  things  she 
wanted,  she  was  very  restless  and  nervous.  Sev- 
eral times  when  she  heard  a  sudden  noise  she 
would  start  and  turn  pale,  as  if  much  frightened. 

Presently  the  two  girls  occupying  the  front 
room  came  in  and  said  that  they  should  leave 
next  day,  as  they  were  afraid  of  a  man  coming 
into  their  room  as  one  had  done  the  night  before. 
Mrs.  Sanford  was  evidently  not  sorry  to  have 
them  go,  and  they  soon  went  to  bed. 

Ingham  and  Mrs.  Sanford  then  talked  together 
about  their  plans  for  getting  money  for  some 
time.  Her  whole  mind  seemed  bent  upon  one 
object, — to  obtain  money ;  and  she  seemed  to 
have  no  scruples  whatever  as  to  the  means  em- 
ployed. 

"Don't  you  know  of  any  wealthy  fellow  who 
carries  considerable  money  about  with  him  ? " 
asked  Ingham. 

"  Oh  !  yes ;  I  know  two  or  three  who  come 
here  to  do  business,  and  I  expect  one  from  Can- 
ada next  week.  He  always  has  plenty  of  money 
with  him,  so  that  I  have  no  doubt  we  could  get 
a  big  sum  out  of  him." 

"Does  he  ever  drink?"  he  asked;  "I  don't 
want  to  tackle  a  sober  man,  if  I  can  help  it." 

"That  needn't  trouble  you,"  she  replied,  in  a 
whisper;  "  I  can  give  him  something  to  keep  him 
quiet." 


THE  DETECTIVES  AT  WORK.  31] 

"  How  can  you  do  that  ?"  he  inquired,  with  ap- 
parent astonishment. 

She  then  showed  him  a  bottle  of  morphine,  and 
said  that  she  always  kept  it  for Jiej^^mJiis%-anti 
that  she  knew  how  to  give  just  enough  to  produce 
a  deep  sleep.  They  finally  agreed  to  lay  their 
plans  together,  and  to  make  a  big  haul  at  the  first 
opportunity. 

Ingham  went  out  again  on  his  prospecting  tour 
next  day,  but  when  he  returned,  in  the  evening, 
he  had  not  discovered  any  good  place  for  a  rob- 
bery. He  told  Mrs.  Sanford,  however,  that  he 
thought  he  could  get  a  quantity  of  counterfeit 
money  at  a  very  low  price,  and  that  they  could 
pass  a  great  deal  of  it,  if  they  were  skillful.  She 
liked  the  idea,  and  said  that  she  could  pass  it  on 
a  great  many  people  who  would  never  recollect 
where  they  received  it.  She  also  said  that  she 
had  a  good  place  to  hide  it,  and  that  some  time 
she  would  show  him  where  she  had  hidden  some 
property,  when  the  police  were  looking  for  it. 

"Oh!  how  I  wish  you  had  been  here  when 
that  man  died  with  eighteen  thousand  dollars  in 
bonds  in  his  pockets!"  she  exclaimed.  "You 
could  have  helped  yourself  to  all  you  wanted." 

"Yes,  indeed,"  he  replied,  "I  should  have 
made  myself  rich  for  life." 

"  But  could  you  have  disposed  of  the  bonds 
without  being  suspected? "  she  asked.  "Wouldn't 
his  friends  catch  you  if  they  had  the  numbers  of 
the  bonds?" 

"Oh!    that    wouldn't    make    any    difference. 


THE  DETECTIVES  AT  WORK. 

There  are  millions  of  dollars  afloat  of  these  bonds, 
and  they  cannot  be  traced  any  more  than  money." 

"His  bonds  were  all  for  five  hundred  dollars 
e.ich,  and  they  had  little  tickets  on  the  end,  which 
could  be  cut  off  for  the  interest,"  she  said.  "I 
saw  them  when  the  coroner  was  examining 
them." 

"Yes,  they  were  undoubtedly  five-twenty 
bonds,  and  were  worth  their  face  in  gold." 

"  Well,  another  time,  if  we  get  such  a  chance," 
she  said,  "we  will  take  enough  to  make  our- 
selves comfortable,  and  leave  the  rest  to  remove 
suspicion." 

On  the  following  day,  Ingham  returned  to  his 
room  at  Mrs.  Sanford's  about  three  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  and  she  told  him  that  the  two  girls  and 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Graves  had  left.  She  said  that  she 
had  a  great  fuss  with  the  latter,  and  that  they 
went  away  in  a  state  of  high  wrath  against  her; 
besides  this,  she  had  had  a  quarrel  with  Charlie, 
the  policeman,  who  had  sided  with  Mrs.  Graves 
during  their  quarrel.  Mrs.  Sanford  said,  further, 
that  Charlie  had  acted  very  meanly  in  not  mak- 
ing her  any  Christmas  or  New  Year's  present, 
and  she  didn't  care  whether  he  came  there  again 
or  not.  She  said  that  Mrs.  Graves  had  left  her 
trunk  to  be  called  for,  and  that  there  was  no  doubt 
she  had  stolen  some  of  Mrs.  Sanford's  towels  and 
other  things.  She  then  went  to  the  trunk,  opened 
it,  and  took  out  a  number  of  articles,  which  she 
said  belonged  to  her.  She  took  the  articles  into 
the  kitchen,  and  secreted  them  in  a  hole  in  the 


THE   DETECTIVES   AT   WORK.  813, 

floor,  where  she  was  able  to  take  up  a  board. 
Ingham  thought  it  rather  strange  that  she  should 
hide  these  things,  if  they  were  her  own  property, 
but  he  said  nothing  on  the  subject  to  Mrs.  San- 
ford. 

About  five  o'clock  a  young  lady  called  to  see 
Mrs.  Sanford,  and  they  seemed  very  intimate 
with  each  other.  When  they  entered  the  sitting- 
room,  Mrs.  Sanford  said: 

"  Ida,  let  me  introduce  to  you  Mr.  Ingham;  this 
is  Miss  Ida  Musgrove,  Mr.  Ingham." 

"  Mrs.  Sanford  has  spoken  of  you  in  such  com- 
plimentary terms,  Miss  Ida,"  said  Ingham,  "that 
I  have  been  very  anxious  to  meet  you." 

"Now,  how  can  you  be  so  foolish,  May,"  said 
Miss  Ida,  addressing  Mrs.  Sanford;  "you  always 
talk  about  me  so  extravagantly  that  people  are 
very  much  disappointed  when  they  meet  me. " 

"Oh!  that  is  quite  impossible,"  chimed  in 
Ingham.  "I  am  sure  that  Mrs.  Sanford  hardly 
did  you  justice." 

"I  see,  Mr.  Ingham,  that  you  are,  like  all  the 
rest  of  your  sex,  a  great  flatterer,"  simpered  Miss 
Ida,  who  was  evidently  greatly  pleased  with  his 
compliments,  but  who  wished  to  appear  too 
modest  to  believe  him  to  be  in  earnest. 

Miss  Ida  was  a  brilliant  brunette  of  fine  fea- 
tures and  figure.  She  was  stylish  and  graceful 
in  her  appearance,  and  her  dress  showed  re- 
marknbly  good  taste.  She  was  very  vivacious 
and  merry,  but  a  close  observer  would  have 
noticed  that  she  was  n«>t  o"«l<»\\v<l  \vith  much 
14 


314  THE  DETECTIVES  AT   WORK. 

sentiment,  and  a  physiognomist  would  have  o 
that  she  was  more  interested  in  the  size  of  a  man'a 
fortune  than  in  his  looks  or  powers  to  please. 
The  three  chatted  together  very  pleasantly  for 
some  time,  and  when  Miss  Ida  rose  to  go,  sh9 
said  that  she  hoped  to  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
Mr.  Ingham  again;  but  she  did  not  inform  him 
where  she  lived,  and  was  apparently  rather  indif- 
ferent with  regard  to  him. 

The  next  day  Mrs.  Banford  refurnished  the 
back  room  where  Mr.  Trafton  had  died,  and 
Ingham  took  the  room  vacated  by  the  Graveses. 
On  the  same  day,  Mrs.  Sanford  missed  her  watch, 
and,  after  searching  for  it  everywhere,  she  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  it  had  been  stolen.  She 
was  greatly  distressed  about  it,  but  she  could  not 
imagine  who  could  have  taken  it. 

A  few  days  after  this,  Ingham  came  hurriedly 
into  the  sitting-room  looking  as  if  he  had  been 
running  hard.  He  found  Mrs.  Sanford  and  Miss 
Ida  in  the  kitchen,  but  when  the  former  came 
into  the  sitting-room,  he  gave  her  a  significant 
look,  and  said  that  he  had  "  made  a  raise."  Mrs. 
Sanford  was  highly  pleased,  but  she  had  no  time 
to  make  inquiries,  as  Miss  Ida  came  in  from  the 
kitchen  a  moment  later.  They  took  supper 
together,  and  had  a  very  gay  time,  as  both  Ingham 
and  Mrs.  Sanford  were  quite  excited  over  the 
former's  adventure.  After  Miss  Ida  had  gone 
home,  Ingham  gave  Mrs.  Sanford  ten  dollars,  and 
told  her  that  he  and  another  man  had  followed  a 
stranger  into  the  "  Burnt  District"  just  at  dusk, 


THW   DETECTIVES  AT  WORK.  315 

* 

and  while  the  other  man  choked  the  stranger, 
Ingham  had  ' '  gone  through  "  his  pockets.  Owing 
to  the  fact  that  there  were  very  few  persons  and 
no  ga"s-lamps  in  their  vicinity,  they  had  not  been 
observed  in  their  work  of  robbery  until  they  let 
the  man  go,  when  his  shouts  had  attracted  atten- 
tion. He  said  that  some  men  had  chased  them, 
and  that  he  had  escaped  by  running  into  a  lumber- 
vnrdj  where  he  h?id-lrrfidftn"thft  prrp.fl.ter  part,  of 
the  plunder.  He  said  that  he  had  obtained  a  roll 
of  bills,  but  that  he  could  not  tell  how  much 
money  there  was  in  all,  as  he  had  not  had  time 
to  count  it.  He  said  that  he  did  not  expect  to 
get  much  out  of  it,  as  he  would  be  obliged  to 
divide  with  his  partner.  The  day  following,  Ing- 
ham,  on  his  return  to  the  house  in  the  evening, 
found  Mrs.  Sanford  standing  in  her  room  fixing 
her  hair,  while  a  man'  stood  beside  lier  with  his 
arm  around  her  waist.  The  door  of  her^oom 
was. open,  so  that  Ingham  coulcTnbT  help  seeing 
them,  and  he  did  not  stop,  but  went  straight  to 
his  own  room.  Mrs.  Sanford  soon  afterward 
came  to  his  door  and  told  him  that  the  man  ho 
had  seen  was  Mr.  Taylor  G.  Pratt,  the  real  estate 
agent,  who  occupied  the  back  parlor;  that  he 
was  one  of  her  best  friends,  and  that  he  wanted 
to  marry  her.  He  had  been  away  for  the  holi- 
days, and  had  only  just  returned.  She  had  told 
him  that  Ingham  was  her  brother  from  Detroit, 
and  that  he  was  going  to  remain  with  h<>r  for 
some  time.  Ingham  was  then  introduced  to  Mi 
Pratt,  and  they  talked  with  each  other  until 


316  THE  DETECTIVES  AT  WORK. 

supper -time.  *  Pratt  was  a  middle-aged  ii.an,  with 
a  mean  looking  face  and  suspicious  manner. 
They  went  to  a  restaurant  for  supper,  and  the 
gentlemen  paid  the  bill  equally.  Pratt  seemed 
to  oxpect  Mrs.  Sanford  to  pay  her  share,  and  this 
made  her  angry,  though  she  said  nothing  about 
the  matter  at  the  time.  When  alone  with  Ing- 
ham,  however,  she  said  that  Pratt  was  a  miserly 
cub,  with  no  generosity  whatever.  She  borrowed 
five  dollars  from  him,  nevertheless,  and  then 
invented  a  story  about  having  lost  the  money  to 
escape  paying  it  back. 

The  next  evening,  when  Ingham  returned  to 
his  lodgings,  he  found  Mrs.  Sanford  in  a  sad 
plight ;  one  eye  was  wholly  closed  and  discol- 
ored, while  her  whole  face  was  bruised  and  in- 
flamed to  such  an  extent  as  to  make  her  an  un- 
pleasant object  to  look  at.  Charlie  Stokes,  the 
policeman,  was  sitting  by  the  stove,  and  Mrs. 
Sanford,  with  her  head  done  up  in  wet  towels, 
was  moaning  on  the  sofa.  She  explained  that 
Mrs.  Graves  had  been  there,  and  had  seized  her 
by  the  throat,  beaten,  scratched,  and  kicked  "tier 
until  she  was  perfectly  helpless  from  her  in- 
juries. Charlie,  the  policeman,  was  trying  to 
condole  with  her,  but  he  was  evidently  out  of 
favor,  for  she  finally  told  him  to  go  out  and  not 
bother  her  any  long< 

Ingham  told  her  that  she  certainly  ought  to 
have  Mrs.  Graves  arrested  and  punished  se- 
verely, and  he  petted  her  so  nicely  that  she  said 
he  was  her  best  friend,  and  that  she  would  do 


THE  DETECTIVES   AT  WORK.  311 


anything  for  him.  He  prepared  a  dressing  for 
her  black  eye,  and  got  some  supper  for  her,  tell- 
ing her  that  on  Monday — that  day  being  Satur- 
day— she  ought  to  get  out  a  warrant  for  the  ar- 
.rest  of  Mrs.  Graves. 

"  Why  didn't  you  hit  her  with  the  poker  ? "  he 
asked. 

"I  did  pick  it  up,"  she  replied,  "but  I  was 
afraid  to  hit  her  for  fear  I  should  kill  her." 

"Well,  it  would  have  served  her  just  right, 
for  she  had  no  business  to  attack  you  first." 

"I  know  that;  but  if  I  had  killed  her,  just 
think  how  awful  it  would  be  !  Why,  her  ghost 
would  haunt  me  forever  after.  I  don't  want  to 
be  haunted.  I'm  afraid  now  to  go  into  the  room 
where  Trafton  died,  and  1  wouldn't  go  in  there 
alone  after  dark  for  fifty  dollars." 

Ingham  comforted  her  all  he  could,  but  finally 
he  said  that  he  must  go  out  for  a  time,  and  he 
did  not  return  until  about  ten  o'clock.  He  then 
went  upstairs  quietly,  and  went  to  bed.  Two  or 
three  hours  later,  a  heavy,  groaning  sound  was 
heard  in  the  house.  It  was  difficult  to  tell  ex- 
actly whence  it  came,  but  Ingham  heard  Mrs. 
Sanf  ord  spring  up  and  open  her  door.  He  did  the 
same,  and  saw  her  listening  at  the  half -open  door. 
The  groans  were  not  exactly  like  those  of  a  person 
in  distress,  but  they  resembled  the  eff orts  of  some 
singe  ghost  in  a  blood-and-thunder  drama.  Sud- 
denly Mrs.  Sanf  ord  stepped  out,  with  her  revolver 
in  her  hand,  and  began  to  walk  toward  the  hall. 
He  instantly  overtook  her  and  askod  her,  in  a 


318  THE  DETECTIVES  AT  WORK. 

whisper,  what  she  was  going  to  do.  She  made  a 
significant  motion  with  her  revolver,  and  again 
stopped  to  listen.  He  then  took  the  pistol  away 
from  her,  saying  that  the  noise  was  probably  duo 
to  some  drunken  man  who  had  got  into  the  hall. 
He  told  her  to  go  back  to  bed,  and  he  would  in- 
vestigate. Accordingly,  he  went  into  the  hall, 
and  soon  Mrs.  Sanford  heard  him  dragging  a 
maudlin  drunken  fellow  downstairs.  This  affair 
had  been  arranged  by  me,  in  the  hope  of  fright- 
ening Mrs.  Sanford  into  making  some  kind  of  a 
confession,  but  she  was  not  so  easily  alarmed  as  I 
had  hoped.  The  door  had  been  left  open  by 
Ingham  on  his  return  to  the  house,  and  another 
detective  had  been  sent  to  the  top  of  the  stairs  to 
make  the  groans.  From  the  determined  way  in 
which  she  walked  out,  with  her  pistol  in  readi- 
ness, it  was  evident  that  she  would  not  have  hesi- 
tated to  shoot  the  unfortunate  ghost  on  sight. 

The  next  day  Ingham  showed  her  a  fine  gold 
watch,  which  he  said  he  had  snatched  out  of  a 
man's  pocket  in  a  crowd.  She  wanted  him  to 
steal  one  for  her,  and  he  promised  to  do  so,  if 
possible,  though  it  was  more  difficult  to  get  a 
lady's  watch.  She  then  advised  him  to  be  careful 
to  see  that  there  was  no  private  mark  on  the 
watch,  lest  he  should  be  detected  thereby.  Then 
she  asked  whether  the  numbers  on  government 
bonds  were  all  different.  He  said  that  there  were 
different  series,  which  were  exactly  alike  except 
the  letter,  and  he  tried  to  explain  the  matter  to 
her,  but  she  could  not  understand  it.  She  also 


A  "FUNNY"  GAME  OF  CARDS.  310 

wanted  to  know  whether  the  bonds  could  be  sold 
in  a  foreign  country,  and  he  told  her  yes;  thai 
that  was  the  best  way  to  sell  them,  if  there  was 
anything  wrong  about  them.  After  some  fur- 
ther conversation,  she  said  she  thought  of  going 
to  Canada  soon,  and  perhaps  she  would  like  him 
to  take  charge  of  her  rooms  while  she  was  away. 


CHAPTER  HI. 

The  Dangerous  Side  of  the  Woman's  Character.  —  Mr. 
Pinkerton  makes  a  new  Move.  —  Robert  A.  P////,-- 
erton  as  Adamson,  the  drunken,  but  wealt/t>/y 
Stranger.  —  A  "funny  "  Game  of  Cards.  —  2  he 
drunken  Stranger  has  a  violent  Struggle  to  escape 
from  Mrs.  Sanford,  and  is  afterwards  robbed— 
according  to  the  Papers.  —  Detective  Ingham  ar- 
rested, but  vert/  shortly  liberated. 

IT  has  already  been  observed  by  the  reader 
that,  while  Ingham  had  learned  nothing 
new  about  the  fate  of  poor  Trafton,  he  had  ob- 
tained a  very  excellent  understanding  of  Mrs. 
Sanford's  character.  Her  most  prominent  char- 
acteristic was  the  love  of  money,  and  this  passion 
seemed  to  overpower  all  others.  HexJanguage 
and  manners  at  times  showed  that  she  had  once 

h^r  rend 


^^ 

ing  and  declamations  from  Shakespeare  and  other 
poets^gavnTeviSonco  of  groat  natnTaT"  talents. 
Combined  with  her  greed  for  money  was  a  strong 


320  A  " FUNNY"  GAME  OF  CARDS. 

element  of  sensuality,  and  though  she  usually 
granted  her  favors  only  where  she  expected  a 
large  pecuniary  reward,  still,  at  times,  she  was 
apparently  as  prodigal  in  that  regard  as  if  she 
had  no  care  whatever  for  money. 

Her  mind,  was  naturally  powerful,  and  I  had 
little  hope  of  breaking  down  her  will ;  she  would 
evidently  show  fight  to  the  last,  and  all  that  I 
could  hope  would  be  to  learn  enough  secretly  to 
insure  her  conviction  without  her  confession. 
She  was  as  shrewd  as  if  all  her  life  had  been 
passed  in  evading  the  toils  of  the  law;  even  in 
her  sleep,  or  when  pretending  to  sleep,  she  would 
talk  with  great  freedom;  but,  as  she  never  gave 
any  intelligence  of  importance  on  such  occasions, 
I  put  little  faith  in  the  soundness  of  her  sleep. 
In  her  readiness  to  assist  Ingham  to  hide  his 
plunder,  I  saw  the  dangerous  side  of  this  woman's 
nature  strongly  revealed.  If  she  were  so  willing 
to  act  as  an  accomplice  in  one  crime,  why  not  in 
another?  As  she  had  been  so  successful  in  her 
encounter  with  Trafton,  might  she  not  be  glad  to 
carry  out  the  same  scheme  again?  At  least,  there 
would  be  no  harm  in  puling  an  opportunity  be- 
fore her,  and  her  actions  in  one  case  might  give 
some  clue  to  those  by  which  she  had  succeeded 
in  the  former  affair. 

"  Yes,  that  will  be  a  good  plan,"  I  soliloquized; 
"I  will  send  a  young  fellow  there  with  a  large 
sum  of  money,  and  he  will  get  drunk.  Then,  if 
she  tries  to  rob  him,  I  shall  be  certain  that  she 
did  the  same  with  young  Trafton." 


A  "FUNNY"  GAME  OF  CARDH.  321 

I  therefore  arranged  that  Ingham  should  pre- 
tend that  he  had  made  the  acquaintance  of  a 
stranger  from  the  East,  who  had  a  large  sum  of 
money;  he  was  to  tell  Mrs.  Sanford  that  he  would 
bring  the  stranger  to  her  rooms  to  spend  the 
evening;  the  stranger  would  be  rather  drunk 
when  he  arrived  there,  and  uhey  would-giy£_hini. 
more  liquor,  until  he  should  bo  quito  drunk;  if 
she  should  then  try  to  rob  him,  he  would  get 
away  as  well  as  possible,  and  Ingham  would  go 
after  him.  In  a  little  while,  Ingham  would  re- 
turn and  show  her  a  package  of  bonds,  stolen 
from  the  stranger,  and  tell  her  that  he  had 
knocked  the  man  down  with  a  brick,  bfore  rob- 
bing  him.  The  next  morning  a  noMce  would  ap- 
pear in  the  papers  to  the  effec^that  a  stranger 
had  been  found  in  the  burnt  district,  lying  on  the 
ground  in  an  insensible  condition,  having  been 
knocked  down  and  robbed. 

Ingham  was  instructed  as  to  his  part  in  the  af- 
fair, and  next  day  he  told  Mrs.  Sanford  that  there 
was  a  young  fellow  down  town  whose  acquaint- 
ance he  had  made,  who  had  a  large  amount  of 
money  with  him.  Ingham  said  that  the  man's 
name  was  Adamson,  and  that  he  was  a  gambler  in 
good  luck.  He  wanted  to  bring  Adamsou  to  the 
house  that  evening,  and  she  was  very  anxious 
that  he  should  come. 

I  intrusted  the  stranger's  part  to  my  son,  Rob- 
ert A.  Pinkerton,  who  assumed  the  name  of 
Adamson  for  the  occasion. 

Accordingly,   the  two  detectives  met  at  my 
U* 


322  A  "FUNNY"  GAME  OF  CARDS. 

office,  and  Adamson  was  given  five  hundred  dol 
lars  in  fifty  dollar  bonds.  They  then  went  to 
Mrs.  Sanford's  house,  and,  on  arriving  there, 
Mr.  Adamson  was  quite  unsteady  on  his  legs. 
Mrs.  Sanford  was  nicely  dressed  to  receive  the 
stranger,  and  she  made  herself  very  agreeable  to 
him,  in  spite  of  his  apparent  drunkenness.  They 
caE&rTTogether  for  a  time,  and  then  Adam- 


son  proposed  to  play  euchre  with  Ingham  seven 
points  for  five  dollars  a  game.  While  they  were 
playing,  Adamson  became  quite  reckless,  and  he 
threw  down  his  cards  with  such  a  look  of 
drunken  gravity  as  to  be  quite  amusing.  He  lost 
almost  every  game,  and,  at  length,  he  wanted  to 
go  out  for  a  drink.  Mrs.  Sanford  told  him  to  go 
on  with  his  game,  and  she  would  get  what  he 
wished. 

"What  do  you  want  to  drink?"  she  asked. 

"Anything  excep'  warrer,"  he  replied. 

"  What  do  you  know  about  water?  "  asked  Ing- 
ham;  "I  don't  believe  you  can  tell  how  it  looks." 

"Tha's  a  lie.  I  know  how  to  tell  warrer  's 
well's  you.  I  (hie)  can  allus  tell  warrer  —  it  looks 
jus'  like  gin.  Get  us  some  gin." 

While  Mrs.  Sanford  was  gone,  Ingham  and 
Adamson  arranged  that  the  latter  should  pretend 
to  have  lost  all  his  money  to  the  former,  and 
that  he  should  insist  upon  playing  one  game  for 
fifty  dollars.  This  he  was  to  lose,  and  he  was  to 
become  angry  and  go  away.  Adamson  then  gave 
Ingham  about  fifty  dollars  to  show  as  his  win- 
nings, and  presently  Mrs.  Sanford  came  in.  She 


A  "FUNNY"  GAME  OF  CARDS.  323 

had  been  introduced  to  Adamson  under  the  as 
sumed  name  of  Mrs.  Eobertson,  and  he  therefore 
addressed  her  by  that  name. 

"  Mi-s.  Bob'son,  'f  you'd  come  sooner  (hie), 
you'd  ha'  seen  th'  funniest  game  't  ever  was 
played.  Never  'ad  such  bad  luck  'n  m'  life,  an' 
now  I've  los'  all  m'  money.  Gimme  big  (hie) 
drink  of  gin." 

Mrs.  Sanford  poured  him  a  glass  half  full,  and 
also  poured  a  little  into  two  other  glasses.  When 
she  turned  her  head,  Ingham  emptied  the  con- 
tents ot^ws-gl^ajJitoJ±LQ.cpal-scuttle,  exchanged 
glasses  with  Adamson,  and  emptied  his  drink  into 
the  same  place.  When  they  stood  up  to  drink, 
Mrs.  Sanford  was  the  only  one  who  really  did  so, 
the  two  men  merely  going  through  the  motions, 
with  great  apparent  satisfaction.  Adamson  then 
became  more  and  more  exjcited. 

"Tell  you,  Miss'r  Hang'em,  or  whatever  y'r 
name  is,  I'll  play  you  a  (hie)  game  f'r  fiffy  dolls; 
can  beat  you  't  euchre  any  day  th'  week.  Wha' 
you  say?  Wan'  to  play? " 

"  No,  I  don't  want  to  play  for  so  much,  but  I'll 
play  you  for  twenty-five  dollars." 

"  Fiffy  or  nothin'.  Come,  now;  'f  you're'fraid 
to  play,  say  so.  I  c'n  play  like  a  steam- whissle, 
I  can." 

"  I'll  play  you  for  twenty-five,"  replied  Inghaiu, 
irresolutely. 

"  No,  sir;  I  won't  (hie)  play'ny  more  small 
games.  You've  won  more'n  fiffy  doll'rs  fr'm  me 
IKJW.  'n  I  wan'  in'  ivvcii-v.  Yougoin'ter  gimme 
a  (hie;  chance  f  win  it  !• 


32*  A  "FUNNY"  GAME  OF  CARDS. 

"  All  right,"  said  Ingham  ;  "I'll  play  you  just 
one  game  for  fifty  dollars,  and  then  we'll  stop,  no 
matter  who  wins.  Just  wait  a  minute,  until  1 
go  to  my  room  for  a  handkerchief." 

While  he  was  gone,  Adamson  pulled  out  a 
package  of  ten  United  States  bonds,  of  the  de- 
nomination of  fifty  dollars  each,  and  said  that  lie 
would  put  up  one  of  them  against  Ingham's  fifty 
dollars,  and  that  he  should  send  the  rest  to  his 
mother.  When  Ingham  returned,  he  counted 
out  fifty  dollars,  and  Adamson  laid  down  one  of 
his  bonds. 

"What's  that?"  asked  Ingham.  "Is  that 
worth  fifty  dollars?"  and  picking  it  up,  he  ex- 
amined it  carefully. 

"  Yes'r  ;  tha's  worth  more'n  fiffy  doll'rs;  tha's 
worth  fiffy  doll'rs  in  gold." 

"  Will  you  guarantee  that  it  is  good  and  all 
right  ? "  asked  Ingham. 

"Course  I  will;  didn't  you  ever  see  a  (hie) 
bond  b'f ore?" 

"  Oh  !  I  know  that's  all  right,"  said  Mrs.  San- 
ford,  who  was  beginning  to  show  the  effect  of 
the  gin  very  strongly  ;  "  I've  had  bon's  like  that, 
too.  Th'  young  man  who  died  here  had  eighteen 
thousan'  bonds  like  this." 

"Well,  all  right,"  said  Ingham;  "let  us  cut 
for  deal." 

/  As  the  game  progressed,  Mrs.  Sanford  felt  the 
/strength  of  the  gin  more  and  more,  and  she  soon 
/  became  quite  sick.  Ingham  got  her  some  warn? 
\  water,  and  she  went  into  her  own  room  to  vomit 

V^ 


A  "FUNNY"  GAME  OF  CARDS.  325 

She  soon  returned,  feeling  much  better,  a  nd  the 
game  went  on,  Ingham  winning  by  one  point. 
Adamson  then  became  very  angry,  and  said  he 
was  going  out ;  and,  although  the  others  begged 
him  to  stay,  he  put  on  his  overcoat  and  insisted 
on  going  away.  Ingham  finally  said  that  he 
didn't  care  whether  Adamson  went  or  stayed,  and, 
so  saying,  he  walked  off  to  his  own  room.  Mrs. 
Sanf  ord  used  every  argument  to  induce  Adamson 
to  stay  all  night,  but,  with  a  drunken  man's  obsti- 
nacy, he  refused  to  remain  any  longer.  He  walked 
downstairs,  with  Mrs.  Sanford  clinging  to  him 
and  coaxing  him  all  the  way,  until  they  reached 
the  lower  landing,  when  she  rjujjimx.ta^fe-s^ainst' 
thejiooj^-and  rofuood  to  let  hiKUQut.  They  then 
had  a  violent  struggle,  in  the  course  of  which  she 
tore  open  his  coat  and  vest  in  the  endeavor  to  get 
at  the  bonds  in  his  breast  pocket.  Finally,  he 
was  obliged  to  use  all  his  force  to  get  away,  as 
she  was  like  a  tigress  in  her  anger,  and  was  evi- 
dently determined  to  rob  him.  Indeed,  had  he 
not  been  an  active,  muscular  young  man,  she 
would,  undoubtedly,  have  finished  him  then  ainl 
there  ;  as  it  was,  he  barely  succeeded  in  making 
his  escape,  by  forcing  her  back  upon  the  stairs, 
and  then  springing  out  of  the  door  before  she 
could  seize  him  again. 

Meantime,  Ingham  was  a  silent  spectator  of 
this  scene  from  "the  top  of  tn^^tairs7^v5iereTTe~ 
stooorieldii]^£ike4amp-.     SsHoon  as  Adamson  was 
out,  Ingham  rushed  down  and  told  Mrs.  Sanford 
that  he  intvu<k-d  t<>  ha\v  thofe  bonds  anyhow. 


326  A  "FUNNY"  GAME  OF  CARDS. 

He  told  her  to  sit  up  for  him,  and  then  ran  out 
after  Adam  son.  In  less  than  an  hour,  he  re- 
turned and  saw  Mrs.  Sanford  watching  for  him 
from  a  front  window.  When  he  went  upstairs, 
she  was  still  somewhat  under  the  influence  of  the 
liquor  she  had*  drank,  but  she  asked  him  where 
he  had  been. 

"That's  all  right,"  he  replied,  flipping  over  the 
ends  of  the  package  of  bonds;  "I  guess  I've 
made  a  good  enough  haul  this  time." 

"Oh!  you  are  a  splendid  fellow,"  she  said, 
leaning  on  his  shoulder.  "I  didn't  think  you 
would  dare  to  do  it." 

"I  dare  to  do  anything  where  there  is  any 
money  to  be  made.  You  won't  go  back  on  me, 
will  you?"  « 

"  What  do  you  mean? "  she  asked. 

"  I  mean,  that  you  won't  give  me  away  to  the 
police  ? "  he  asked,  anxiously. 

"Why,  of  course  I  won't,"  she  replied.  "I 
never  yet  went  back  on  any  one  who  did  the  fair 
thing  by  me;  and  I  know  you  will  do  that,  won't 
you?" 

"Oh!  certainly  I  will ;  I  will  make  you  a  nice 
present  to-morrow." 

"  I  don't  want  a  present  to-morrow,"  she  said, 
sullenly  ;  "  I  want  my  share  now." 

"  But  I  shall  have  to  cash  these  bonds  first,"  he 
said.  "  They  would  be  of  no  use  to  you  in  their 
present  shape." 

"  I  can  get  them  cashed  as  well  as  you  can," 
she  replied.  "Come,  hand  over;  I  don't  want 
half,  but  1  want  m  now." 


A  "FUNNY"  GAME  OF  CARDS.  327 

"  What  is  your  hurry  ? "  he  demanded.  "  Can't 
you  wait  until  to-morrow  ? " 

"  No,  I  can't;  I  want  my  share,  and  if  you  are 

going  to  be  mean,  I  will  be  mean  too.     You  can't 

keep  those  bonds  unless  I  say  so,  and  if  I  choose 

to  report  you,  I  can  have  them  all  taken  from 

^   you,  besides  sending  you  to  Joliet." 

"Oh!  if  that's  the  way  you  talk,"  replied  Ing- 
nam,  "I  shall  know  what  to  do.  If  you  can't 
trust  me  until  to-morrow,  I  can't  trust  you  at  all. 
You  can't  scare  me  by  threats,  and  if  you  want 
to  get  any  of  this  money,  you  must  deal  fairly 
with  me;  I'm  not  afraid  of  being  arrested." 

"All  right,  then,"  she  answered,  with  a  wicked 
look  in  her  eye;  "we'll  see  whether  you  will 
'  come  down '  or  not.  If  you  want  to  keep  it 
all,  I  shall  take  care  that  you  don't  keep  any  of 
it.  I'm  going  to  the  police  station  at  once." 

She  was,  evidently,  just  ugly  enough  to  do  as 
she  said;  and,  as  Ingham  had  the  bonds  in  his 
possession,  he  did  not  fancy  the  idea  of  letting 
her  go  for  the  officers  just  then;  so  he  replied: 

"  You  can  go  right  along,  if  you  want  to,  but, 
in  that  case,  I  shall  go  somewhere  else." 

He  then  quickly  brought  his  hat  and  overcoat 
into  the  sitting-room;  and,  seeing  that  she  was 
still  making  preparations  to  go  out,  he  took  a 
hurried  departure,  taking  a  room  at  a  small  hotel 
for  the  night. 

In  the  Chicago  Tribune  of  January  14,  1872, 
the  following  item  appeared: 


328  A  "FUNNY"  GAME  OF  CARDS. 

"  HIGHWAY  BOBBERY. 

"  At  about  twelve  o'clock  last  night,  an  officei 
of  Pinkerton's  Preventive  Police  stumbled  ovei 
the  body  of  a  man  near  the  corner  of  State  and 
Washington  streets.  Stooping  down,  he  discov- 
ered that  the  man  was  half  drunk,  half  insensi- 
ble, bruised  and  bleeding.  On  being  restored  to 
his  senses,  he  gave  his  name  as  Robert  Adamson, 
stating'that  he  had  come  from  Troy,  New  York, 
having  with  him  several  hundred  dollars  in  cur- 
rency and  bonds.  The  time  between  drinks  was 
very  short  yesterday  afternoon,  and  he  has  no 
clear  idea  of  what  happened  after  dark,  up  to  the 
time  the  officer  found  him  minus  his  money  and 
valuables.  He  remembers  drinking  frequently 
with  a  stranger,  who  made  himseli>very  agree- 
able, but  cannot  state  the  time  when  they  parted 
company.  He  describes  the  stranger  as  a  tall 
slender  man,  with  black  side- whiskers,  giving  a 
sufficiently  minute  description  of  him  to  afford 
the  police  a  valuable  clue,  and  it  is  lively  that  the 
highwayman  will  soon  be  overhauled^" 


About  noon  of  the  day  that  the  above  was  pub- 
lished, Ingham  went  to  cah1  upon  Mrs.  Sanford, 
and  she  received  him  very  coolly. 

"  How  do  you  feel  this  morning  ?"  he  asked. 
"  Does  your  head  ache  ? " 

"No,  I  feel  all  right,"  she  replied.  "Have 
you  seen  that  fellow  that  was  here  last  night  ? " 

"No,  I  have  not  seen  him,"  he  replied.  "  Why 
do  you  ask  ?  Has  he  been  here  looking  for  me  ? " 


A  "FUNNY"  GAME  OF  CARDS.  329 

"Yes,  he  came  here  this  morning,  and  asked 
me  all  kinds  of  questions  about  you;  and  now,  if 
you  are  arrested,  it  will  be  your  own  fault.  I 
would  have  shielded  you,  if  you  had  done  the 
fair  thing  by  me;  but  now  you  must  look  out  for 
yourself." 

"You  are  very  unreasonable,  Mrs.  Sanford,'' 
he  replied;  "it  would  have  been  very  dangerous 
to  have  left  any  of  those  bonds  with  you,  for  if 
the  man  had  brought  the  police  here,  they  would 
have  searched  the  house,  and  would  have  found 
the  bonds.  Then  you  would  have  been  arrested, 
and  you  would  have  been  obliged  to  tell  where 
you  got  the  bonds.  Now,  as  soon  as  I  get  the 
bonds  cashed,  I  will  treat  you  handsomely,  but  I 
do  not  intend  to  run  any  risks." 

"There  would  have  been  no  danger  of  their 
finding  the  bonds,  if  you  had  left  them  with  me; 
and,  even  if  they  had  found  them,  I  never  would 
have  told  where  I  got  them.  You  might  have 
been  fair  enough  to  give  me  one  hundred  dollars 
at  least." 

"He  did  not  have  any  money  besides  what  I 
won  from  him,  except  the  bonds;  and,  as  I  said 
before,  I  did  not  dare  to  leave  those  in  the 
house." 

I  ever  let  you  intojnj£--kogse," 
**!  thought  a  great  deal  of 
ypu,  and  I  expected  to  assislfytra-^wfeeirl  received 
my^mryaey-fJjut  now  I  have  lost  confidence  in 
you.  I  suppose,  if  you  got  a  chance  at  my 
money,  you  would  take  that  too.  I  begin  to 


A 


,    \ 330  A  " FUNNY"  GAME  OF  CARDS. 

ML 

\  think  I  know  where  my  watch  went ;  the  letee- 
tive  wanted  to  search  you  for  it  two  or  three 
times,  but  I  wouldn't  let  him,  and  this  is  the  way 
you  reward  my  confidence." 

"Mrs.  Sanford,  you  are  talking  wild,"  he 
answered,  angrily.  -"  I  have  always  treated  you 
well,  and  when  I  made  a  raise  the  other  day,  I 
gave  you  a  part  of  it.  I  intended  to  do  the  same 
this  time,  but  you  acted  so  suspiciously  that  I 
thought  best  to  wait  awhile.  •  Now,  as  soon  as  I 
get  these  bonds  cashed,  I  will  give  you  some 
more  money,  but  not  till  then." 

"  You  can  keep  your  old  money,"  she  retorted ; 
"I  don't  want  any  of  it.  You  think  you  were 
very  smart,  yesterday,  but  you  don't  know  what 
danger  you  are  in.  I  could  have 
this  verv-daauf  I  chose.' 


:now  you  could ;  but  what  good  would  it 
do  you?  I  shoujd-be  punished,  to  be  sure,  but 
you  would  not  get  a  cent ;  while,  if  you  keep 
quiet,  I  will  make  you  a  fine  present." 

"I  don't  want  your  present,  nor  you  either," 
she  replied.  "I  don't  want  you  in jnjUiQuse^ any 
longer."  Thenfas^TrlgJia^n^siiarfed  toward  his 
roV5m7~s1ie  said:  "Keep  out  of  there;  you  can't  go 
into  that  room,  for  I've  let  it  to  a  young  couple, 
who  are  in  there  now." 

"All  light,  then,"  replied  Ingham;  "I  will  call 
again  to-morrow." 

"You  needn't  take  things  so  mighty  cool,"  she 
replied,  perfectly  white  with  anger.     ""£pu 
firj^-^otifselfin  jail  before  you  know  it." 


A  "FUNNY"  GAME  OF  CARDS.  331 

"I  know  it,"  he  answered,  carelessly;  "but  it's 
my  nature  to  take  things  cool,  and  so,  if  you 
want  to  put  me  in  jail,  you  can;  but  you  can't 
scare  me  a  bit,  and  you  may  as  well  understand 
it  first  as  last." 

The  following  morning,  I  received  from  Mr. 
Trafton,  who  was  then  in  Philadelphia,  the  num- 
ber of  the  bonds  which  were  missing.  They 
were  five-twenty  bonds  of  the  issue  of  1865,  num- 
bers 57,109  and  87,656,  series  A,  and  number 
37,515,  series  B.  Information  of  the  robbery  had 
been  sent  to  the  Treasury  Department  at  Wash- 
ington, and  to  all  the  sub-treasurers  in  the  United 
States,  in  order  that,  in  case  any  of  the  interest 
coupons  should  be  presented  for  payment,  they 
might  be  traced  back,  possibly,  to  the  hands  of 
the  thief. 

In  The  Tribune  of  Monday  appeared  the  fol- 
lowing item : 

"BEATEN  AND  ROBBED. 

"A  MAN  TAKES  A  WALK  WITH  A  COMPARATIVE 
STRANGER,  AND  IS  KNOCKED  DOWN  AND  ROB- 
BED OF  NEARLY  $1,000  IX  GREENBACKS. 

"Mention  was  made  in  yesterday's  TRIBUNE  of 
the  finding  of  a  man,  named  Robert  Adamson, 
on  the  corner  of  State  and  Washington,  strc- 
he  having  been  bcairn  and  robbed  of  several  hun- 
dred dollars  in  greenbacks.  The  police  were  look- 
ing for  him  yesterday,  but  failed  to  find  him.  It 
was  ascertained  that  he  had  been  boarding  at  No. 


332  A  "FUNNY"  GAME  OF  CARDS. 

92  West  Madison  street,  and  that,  on  Saturday 
night,  he  indulged  in  several  games  of  euchro 
with  a  man  who  also  boarded  at  the  place.  While 
the  game  was  in  progress,  and  Adamson  was  ui? 
der  the  influence  of  liquor,  he  displayed  an  ex- 
press company's  envelope  full  of  money.  At  the 
conclusion  of  the  game,  the  two  men  went  out  to 
'take  a  walk.'  Yesterday  morning,  Adamson's 
companion  returned  to  the  house,  and,  it  4s  said, 
offered  che  landlady  $500  if  she  would  say  noth- 
ing about  his  having  played  cards  with  Adamson. 
She  refused,  and  would  not  allow  the  fellow  to 
take  his  trunk  away,  which  he  wanted  to  do  very 
badly.  The  landlady  sent  her  little  daughter  to 
police  headquarters  for  an  officer,  and  one  was 
sent  over  to  arrest  the  man;  but  he  had  left  pre- 
vious to  the  officer's  arrival.  It  is  not  known 
how  much  money  Adamson  had,  but  it  must 
have  been  in  the  neighborhood  of  $1,000,  or  the 
man  who  took  it  would  not  have  made  such  a 
munificent  offer  to  have  the  fact  of  the  theft 
kept  secret." 

In  accordance  with  my  instructions,  Ingham 
went  to  Mrs.  Sanford's  house  about  noon  on 
Monday.  •  He  told  her  that  he  had  read  in  the 
paper  that  she  had  reported  him  to  the  police  as 
being  the  assailant  of  Eobert  Adamson.  She  de- 
nied ever  having  done  so,  and  offered  to  swear 
that  she  had  never  betrayed  him.  He  replied 
that  he  felt  sure  there  must  be  a  mistake,  as  he 
could  not  believe  it  possible  that  she  would  be- 


A  "FUNNY"  GAME  OF  CARDS.  333 

tray  him.  He  felt  perfect  confidence  in  her,  and 
had  no  fears  that  she  would  try  to  have  him  ar- 
rested. 

"Besides,"  he  continued,  "I  don't  care  now 
whether  they  arrest  me  or  not.  I'm  not  afraid 
of  being  held,  for  I  am  generally  sllfuvvd  wfough 
to  cover  my  tracks  pretty  thoroughly,  if  I  have  a 
start  of  two  or  three  days." 

"You  can't  prove  that  you  didn't  rob  that 
man,"  she  replied. 

"I  don't  need  to;  all  the  proof  must  come  from, 
the  other  side,  and  they  haven't  any  witnesses 
who  can  swear  that  I  did  the  robbery." 

"I  could  prove  it,  if  I  choose  to  go  against 
you,"  she  said. 

"No,  you  couldn't,"  he  replied.  "You  didn't 
see  me;  and,  while  your  testimony  would,  per- 
haps, be  circumstantial  evidence,  your  oath 
would  be  no  better  than  mine,  as  you  have  no 
one  to  swear  to  the  same  thing." 

have  great  cr 
she  said  in  a  boasting  manner.  "  They  recollect 
the  finding  of  eighteen  thousand  dollars  under 
the  pillow  of  the  young  man  who  died  here,  and 
they  have  all  confidence  in  me,  for  they_k»oTrT 
might  have  easflyrT5toien-^4Lhe-ka€h  l3ut  I  think 
it  is  best  never  to  do  anything  wrong,  and  then 
there  is  no  fear  of  getting  into  trouble." 

"That's  all  right,  if  you  can  do  it,"  he  replied; 
"but  I  must  have  a  living,  and  if  I  can't  get  it 
one  way,  I  will  another. " 

Just  then  some  one  knocked  at  the  door,  and 


334  A  " FUNNY"  GAME  OF  CARDS. 

presently  Charlie  Stokes,  the  policeman,  walked 
in.  They  talked  together  a  few  minutes,  and 
then  Stokes  said: 

"  Step  this  way  a  moment,  Mr.  Ingham,  I  wish 
to  speak  to  you  alone." 

They  walked  to  the  head  of  the  stairs,  and  Ing- 
ham  then  asked  what  he  wished  to  talk  about. 

"  Well,  there  seems  to  be  some  kind  of  a  mis- 
understanding at  the  police  station/'  said  Stokes, 
keeping  his  eye^-QBr-the-grQund)  "  and-they  have 
sejiti  me4e-^sk  you  towall£_arQimd  to  the-office." 
"misanderstanSmg  about  what  ? "  asked 
Ingham.  •' "  What  do  you  mean?" 

"Well,  you  know  all  about  it,"  continued 
Stokes,  in  the  same  mysterious  way. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon ;  I  don't  know  what  you 
have  reference  to  ;  please  explain." 

"Oh!    you    know    well    enough.      You    are 
ranted  on  account  of  that  man  you  robbed  last 
'Saturday  night." 

"  I  did  not  rob  any  man  Saturday  night,  and  I 
am    surprised   that    you    should  make  such   a 
\charge  against  me,  knowing  me  as  well  as  you 
lo,"  said  Ingham,  in  an  injured  tone. 

"  I  have  nothing  to  do  with  it,"  replied  Stokes. 
"  I  am  simply  obeying  the  captain's  order,  and  I 
have  no  personal  feeling  against  you  whatever ; 
but  I  have  been  sent  to  take  you  down  to  the 
station,  and  I  must  obey  orders." 

"-Theiry&iL2J?ijestrsme^  inquired  Ingham. 

"  Well,  you  must  go  to  the  station  with  me  to 
see  the  captain." 


A.  "FUNNY"  GAME  OF  CARDS.  335 

"Not  unless  you  arrest  me,"  replied  Ingham. 
"  I  want  to  know  whether  I  am  to  consider  my- 
self under  arrest." 

"Yes,  you  can  consider  yourself  arrested,  if 
you  want  to,"  replied  Stokes,  who  did  not  seem 
to  like  fVKAq,Ve  f.hft  rftspansubiJ-il^  nf  nulling 
ciieiuustaiices. 


"I  don't  want  to,  and  I  shan't,  unless  you  say 
so,"  persisted  Ingham.  ' 

'  '  Well,  then,  I  do  say  so,  and  we  will  go  now. 
We  ,can  walk  along  to^etker-4iko  two  friends. 
howeyjay  ^anfFrKrone  neea^know  that  you  are  my 
prisoner." 

"I  don't  care  who  knows  it,"  said  Ingham; 
"but  I  think  there  is  somethingustfange  in  tha 
way  of  arrestingjne." 

^  W  ell,  JTTiope  you  will  come  out  all  right," 
Stokes  replied,  adding  significantly,  "and  per- 
haps you  will,  if  certain  folks  don't  appear 
against  you." 

"I'm  not  afraid,"  replied  Ingham;  "there  is 
no  one  who  can  say  anything  against  me." 

On  arriving  at  the  station,  the  same  considera- 
tion was  shown  to  him,  and  the  station-keeper 
asked  him  to  make  himself  comfortable  in  the 
main  sitting-room. 

"Am  I  under  arrest  ?  "  he  asked  again. 

"I^oTHot  exactly  j^you  can  take  it  easy  for  a 
time,  and  you  Tvill-harvo  an  examination  Soon.'' 

"If  •!  am  not  under  arrest,"  Ingham  replied, 
"I  shall  not  stay  here." 

"Why  not?"  asked  the  station-keeper. 


A  "FUNNY'  GAME  OF  CARDS. 

"  Because  I  have  no  business  here  unless  I  am 
a  prisoner,"  was  Ingham's  reply. 

llWfi-cgii  lock  youjipja-^rt^TITlFwS  waul,  to,4* 
feaid  the  station-keeper;  "but  we  thought  you 
would  prefer  to  be  comfortable  up  here." 

"^hen  I  flr,m  a-pri spn erJ-"  again  inquired  Ing- 
ham,  wn7)~-!5el3rned  anxious  to  have  his  status 
satisfactorily  explained. 

"Yes,  confound  it ;  if  you  are  determined  to 
have  it  so,  you  are." 

About  five  o'clock  the  sergeant  of  police  came 
in,  and  asked  Ingham  his  name. 

"Ingham,"  was  the  reply. 

4 '  Jack  Ingham  ? " 

"No ;  John  Ingham." 

"What  is  your  business ? "  asked  the  sergeant. 

"I'm  not  employed  at  all,  just  now. 

"Have  you  ever  had  any  work  to  do  in  this 
city  ? "  again  queried  the  sergeant. 

"No;  not  yet." 

"Who  was  that  man  you  were  playing  cards 
with  the  other  night  ? " 

"What  night  ? "  asked  Ingham. 

"Well,  Saturday  night." 

"  Whereabouts  ? " 

<l  At  your  boarding  place." 

"  Oh !  I  play  cards  with  a  great  many  fellows," 
Ingham  replied.  "I  don't  know  which  one  you 
mean.'' 

"Well,  we  know  who  he  was,"  said  the  ser- 
geant. 

"Then  what  are  you  asking  me  for?"  said 
Ingham.  "  Am  I  under  arrest? " 


A  "FUNNY"  GAME  OF  CARDS.      '/  337 

•'I  guess  you  will  have  to  stay  here  awhile," 
was  the  sergeant's  reply. 

Presently  a  number  of  persons  came  into  the 
room,  and  Ingham  thought  he  saw  among  them 
one  of  the  bindery  girls  who  had  formerly  lodged 
with  Mrs.  Sanford.  She  looked  at  him  very  hard, 
and  then  went  out  into  the  hall,  where  he  could 
hear  her  talking  with  the  station-keeper  and 
Stokes.  He  also  heard  the  sergeant  call  a  police- 
man and  give  him  some  instructions,  in  which 
Ingham  caught  the  words,  "  Pinkertoii's  office." 
The  man  then  put  on  his  coat  and  went  out. 
Presently  the  sergeant  approached  him  again, 
and,  looking  at  him  significantly,  said: 

''Now  we  know  all  about  your  playing  cards 
with  that  man,  and  afterward  fobbing  him." 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  mean,"  Ingham  re- 
plied; "I  don't  know  what  man  you  are  talking 
about." 

"  Didn't  you  see  that  piece  in  the  paper  yester- 
day? "  asked  the  sergeant. 

"  I  saw  a  number  of  pieces  in  the  paper  yester- 
day, but  I  can't  tell  which  one  you  are  referring 
to." 

The  sergeant  then  showed  him  the  item  headed 
"  Highway  Robbery,"  and  said: 

"  Now,  we  can  prove  that  you  came  back  to 
your  landlady  with  a  large  package  of  money, 
and  offered  her  five  hundred  dollars  to  keep  quiet 
about  the  fact  of  your  having  played  cards  with 
this  young  fellow,  and  then  having  followed  him 
out." 

13 


338  A  "  FUNNY"  GAME  OF  CARDS. 

"  Well,  if  you  can  prove  that,  you  had  better 
do  it,"  said  Ingham;  then,  changing  his  tone,  and 
looking  straight  in  the  sergeant's  face,  he  added: 

any 


them." 

muttered  something  about  lock- 
ing him  up,  .and  started  to  go  out. 

"  If  you  lockT  me  up,"  replied  Ingham,  coolly, 
"  I  kepe~-yoiL_are  prepared  Jo_tak:e  the  conse- 
querrees^ 

"  Who  the  deyil^are  you,  anyhow?  "  agkd  tho 


"  No  relation  of  yours,  I  assure  you,"  was  the 
reply,  and  the  sergeant  went  away. 

At  this  time,  a  tall,  dignified  man  came  in  and 
asked  the  station-keeper  a  question.  The  police- 
man replied  that  there  was  no  such  man  there. 

"  I  know  better  than  that,"  said  the  stranger, 
"  and  I  must  see  him," 

The  station-keeper  declared  positively  that  they 
had  no  such  man,  and  the  stranger  then  went  up 
stairs.  In  a  few  minutes  the  sergeant  came  in 
and  told  Ingham  to  follow  him.  As  they  were 
going  upstairs,  they  met  the  tall  stranger  coming 
down.  Ingham  felt  confident  that  this  man  was 
looking  for  him,  and,  in  passing,  he  pinched  the 
stranger's  leg.  The  pinch  was  returned,  and  the 
tall  man  stopped;  but  Ingham  and  the  sergeant 
went  up  to  the  captain's  room.  After  asking 
Ingham  his  name,  the  captain  said: 

"Where  were  you  last  Saturday  night  ?  " 

"  That  is  none  of  your  business,"  said  Ingham. 


A  c' FUNNY"  GAME  OF  CARDS.  339 

"Come,  now,  you  needn't  put  on  any  airs," 
said  the  captain;  "I  want  to  know  all  about 
this." 

"  Captain,"  Ingham  replied,  "  if  you  have  any 
charges  against  me,  I  should  like  to  hear  them. 
I  don't  put  on  any  airs,  but  I  want  to  know  what 
I  am  under  arrest  for." 

Turning  to  the  sergeant,  the  captain  said : 

"  How  long  would  it  take  you  to  bring  that 
man  on  here,  sergeant  ? " 

"  Three  or  four  days,  at  least,"  was  the  an- 
swer. 

Just  then  the  tall  stranger  entered,  and  the 
captain  took  him  into  a  private  room,  where  they 
remained  some  time.  When  they  came  out,  the 
sergeant  joined  the  captain  for  a  few  minutes, 
while  the  tall  gentleman  introduced  himself  to 
Ingham  as  Judge  B ,  and  said  that  the  cap- 
tain would  let  him  go.  This  prove<l  true,  for  the 
captain  very  soon  came  out,  and  told  Ingham 
that  he  was  at  liberty. 


340  CONNECTING  LINKS 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Connecting  LinJes. — Mrs.  Stanford's  Ability  as  an  Imi- 
tator of  Actors. —  One  Detective  tears  himself  away 
from  her,  and  another  takes  his  Place. — Mrs.  San- 
forcVs  mind  frequently  burdened  with  the  Subject  of 
Murder. — New  Evidence  appearing. — A. Peep  at  the 
stolen  Bonds. — The  Shrewdness  of  the  Murderess. 

INGHAM  did  not  return  to*  Mrs.  Sanford's  un- 
til late  in  the  evening  of  the  day  of  his  arrest. 
On  arriving  there,  he  was  admitted  by  Charlie 
Stokes,  the  policeman,  who  seemed  very  much 
surprised  to  see  him.  Mrs.  Sanford  was  also 
quite  astonished,  and  turned  very  pale  on  seeing 
him.  However,  they  soon  began  talking  in  a  very 
friendly  way,  expressing  their  regret  at  his  arrest 
and  their  pleasure  at  his  release.  Charlie  did 
not  remain  long,  and  after  he  was  gone  Mrs.  San- 
ford  made  all  kinds  of  inquiries  as  to  the  manner 
of  his  escape. 

"  Why,  Mrs.  Sanford,"  he  replied,  "I  told  you 
they  couldn't  hold  me.  There  was  absolutely  no 
evidence  against  me,  and  they  were  afraid  to 
dven  lock  me  up.  I  have  been  ten  years  in  this 
business,  in  New  Orleans  and  elsewhere,  and  I 
have  never  been  caught  yet.  The  only  thing 
which  puzzles  me,  is  to  account  for  my  being  ar- 
rested at  all ! " 

"You  don't  suspect  that  I  had  any  hand  in  it, 
I  hope  ? "  asked  Mrs.  Sanford. 


CONNECTING  LINKS.  341 

"  Oh,  no  indeed  !  I  trust  you  perfectly;  but  T 
think  that  one  of  those  bindery  girls  may  have 
seen  me  with  Adamson  on  the  street.  One  of 
them  came  into  the  station  while  I  was  there, 
and  looked  at  me  very  hard,  as  if  trying  to  identify 
me.  Still,  I  don't  see  how  she  could  have  sus- 
pected anything,  unless  some  one  put  her  up  to  it. " 

"  Perhaps-some  bartender  may  have  seen  you 
drinking  with  him  during  the  afternoon,"  she 
suggested,  "and  he  may  have  described  you  to 
the  police." 

"  Well,  I  should  like  to  know  who  it  was,"  he 
said,  savagely,  "for  I  would  shoot  him  like  a 
dog." 

As  Mrs.  Sanford  had  rented  Ingham's  room, 
there  was  no  place  for  him  to  stay,  and  he  went 
away  about  midnight,  telling  her  that  he  would 
return  next  day.  He  did  not  go  there,  however, 
until  after  dark,  as  he  felt  confident  that  the  police 
would  try  to  "shadow"  him.  He  found  Mrs. 
Sanford  quite  uneasy  about  him,  as  she  thought 
he  had  been  arrested  again.  He  invited  her  to 
go  to  the  theatre,  and,  on  their  way  home,  they 
stopped  at  a  restaurant  to  get  a  late  supper.  As 
there  were  no  accommodations  for  him,  he  was 
obliged  to  go  to  a  hotel  for  the  night,  but  Mrs. 
Sanford  promised  to  have  a  bed  put  into  the  un- 
furnished room  for  him  the  next  day.  The  next 
afternoon  he  called  ng;iin,  and  Mrs.  Sanford  said 
that  Charlie  had  been  there,  and  had  told  her  all 
about  their  visit  to  the  theatre  the  night  befoiv. 
She  said  that  he  knew  exactly  where  they  had 


342  CONNECTING   LINKS. 

been,  what  they  had  had  for  supper,  and.  what 
they  had  paid.  Ingham  was  thus  made  aware 
that  he  was  being  watched,  and  his  position, 
therefore,  became  very  embarrassing. 

"Oh!  by  the  way,"  she  exclaimed,  suddenly, 
"  did  I  tell  you  that  I  got  back  my  watch  ? " 

"  No;  how  did  you  recover  it  ? "  he  asked. 

"Well,  that  man  Graves  had  it,  and  I  had  to 
pay  one  hundred  dollars  to  get  it  back." 

"That  was  a  great  shame,"  said  Ingham,  sym- 
pathetically, as  if  he  fully  believed  her. 

' '  Yes,  I  got  my  watch  and  several  other  trin- 
kets, which  I  had  all  together  in  one  box.  See, 
here  they  are,"  she  said,  producing  a  box. 

Ingham  looked  at  them  with  great  interest, 
and,  among  the  old  sleeve-buttons,  odd  earrings, 
and  other  broken  pieces  of  jewelry,  he  saw  two 
gold  shirt  studs,  one  diamond-shaped,  and  the 
other  star-shaped.  This  was  a  small  matter,  but 
it  was  one  of  the  connecting  links,  nevertheless, 
in  the  chain  of  evidence  against  her;  for,  from 
the  description,  I  felt  sure  that  these  were  young 
Trafton's  missing  studs. 

Ingham  spent  the  evening  with  her,  and  she 
was  very  friendly  indeed,  seeming  anxious  to  re- 
move any  suspicion  he  might  have  that  she  was 
responsible  for  his  arrest.  She  had  made  no  ar- 
rangements for  him  to  sleep  there,  however,  and 
so  he  went  to  a  small  hotel  for  the  night.  When 
he  reported  at  my  office  the  following  day,  I  g; 
him  four  hundred  dollars  in  money,  and  told  him 
to  show  it  to  Mrs.  San  ford  as  the  proceeds  of  the 


CONNECTING  LINKS.  343 

sale  of  the  stolen  bonds.  Accordingly,  when  he 
wont  there  in  the  afternoon,  he  counted  .over  a 
large  pile  of  bills  before  her  astonished  eyes,  and 
asked  her  if  he  didn't  know  how  to  make  things 
pay  well. 

"Why,  where  did  you  get  all  that  money?" 
she  asked. 

"I  sold  those  bonds  which  I  showed  you  the 
other  night,"  he  replied.  "I  tell  you,  it  isn't 
every  man  who  knows  how  to  dispose  of  prop- 
erty when  it  falls  into  his  hands." 

"  Now  you  will  be  flush  for  a  long  time,  won't 
you?"  she  said,  in  her  most  amiable  manner. 
"  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  all  that  ? " 

"  Oh  !  I  shall  have  to  divide  with  my  partner 
first,"  he  replied. 

"Did  you  have  a  partner  hi  this  affair?"  she 
asked.  "  You  did  not  tell  me  about  him." 

"  Oh !  yes ;  I  had  the  same  partner  as  in  the 
other  case,"  Ingham  replied.  "He  held  Adam- 
son,  and  I  struck  him  with  a  brick.  However, 
here  is  a  present  before  I  go,  May,"  he  con- 
tinued, tossing  two  ten-dollar  notes  into  her  lap. 
"  I  will  give  you  some  more  in  a  day  or  two." 

Mrs.  Sanford  was  very  much  gratified,  and 
said  that  she  cared  more  for  him  than  for  any 
one  else,  and  he  could  depend  upon  her  for  any- 
thing. Ingham  then  left  her,  and  came  to  my 
office  to  return  the  money.  In  the  evening  he 
took  Mrs.  Sanford  and  Miss  Ida  Musgrove  to  the 
theatre,  and  the  latter,  evidently  having  heard 
of  his  improved  fortunes,  treated  him  with  great 


344;  CONNECTING  LINKS. 

cordiality.  They  returned  to  the  rooms  of  Mis? 
Ida  after  the  theatre  was  out,  and  Mrs.  Sanford 
gave  some  fine  imitations  of  different  actors  and 
actresses,  in  a  way  which  showed  great  powers  of 
mimicry,  as  well  as  considerable  dramatic  force. 
It  was  very  late  when  Ingham  and  Mrs.  Sanford 
got  home,  and  they  immediately  went  to  bed. 

The  next  day,  Ingham  went  away  as  usual, 
and  stayed  until  nearly  dark.  When  he  saw  Mrs. 
Sanford,  he  professed  to  be  in  a  very  sulky  mood, 
and  said  that  he  had  been  gambling  all  day. 

"At  first  I  won  right  along,  and  I  was  nearly 
two  thousand  dollars  ahead  at  one  time;  but  the 
cursed  luck  changed,  and  I  began  to  lose  every 
bet;  so  that,  when  I  left,  I  had  only  ten  dollars 
in  my  pocket  out  of  all  that  money  I  got  for  the 
bonds." 

Ingham  could  not  control  his  feelings  as  he 
thought  of  his  loss,  and  he  swore  and  raved  like 
a  craey  man.  Mrs.  Sanford  was  very  much  dis- 
appointed, also,  but  she  did  not  say  much,  except 
that  he  ought  to  have  known  better  than  to  gam- 
ble. There  were  two  or  three  new  lodgers  com- 
ing in  and  out  while  he  was  there,  so  that  he  did 
not  have  much  time  to  talk  to  her,  and  he  went 
away  early  in  the  evening. 

Owing  to  the  arrest  of  Ingham,  and  his  quarrel 
with  Mrs.  Sanford,  I  had  decided  to  relieve  him 
from  this  operation,  and  to  put  another  man  in 
his  place.  His  story  about  gambling  was  a  part 
of  my  plan;  and  the  next  day,  when  he  called 
upon  her,  he  was  under  instructions  to  announce 


CONNECTING  LINKS.  345 

bis  intended  departure  from  the  city.  Accord- 
ingly, he  did  so,  giving  as  a  reason  the  fact  that 
he  had  lost  all  his  money,  and  that  the  police 
were  watching  him  so  closely  that  he  was  afraid 
to  attempt  another  robbery  in  Chicago.  He  told 
her  that  he  was  going  to  St.  Louis,  and  that  he 
should  come  to  see  her  immediately,  if  he  ever 
should  return. 

/  She    appeared  very    much    distressed   at  the 
/  thought  of  losing  him,  and  told  him  that  when 

/    she  got  her  money,  she  would  let  him  have  as 
much  as  he  wanted.     She  made  him  promise  to 

I     write  to  her,  and  when  he  went  away,  she  cried 
\with  seemingly  genuine  sorrow. 

•  Three  days  later  Mrs.  Sanford  received  a  visit 
from  a  gentleman  who  said  he  wished  to  rent  a 
furnished  room.  Mrs.  Sanford  seemed  to  like  his 
appearance,  and  she  offered  him  the  small  back 
room  at  a  low  rent.  Having  decided  to  take  it, 
he  told  her  that  his  name  was  Henry  C.  Morton, 
recently  from  England. 

"  Oh  !  I  am  so  glad  you  are  from  the  old  coun- 
try," said  Mrs.  Sanford,  "as  I  am  from  Edinboro' 
myself,  and  my  father  is  Lord  Chief  Justice  of 
the  courts  there.  He  is  very  rich,  and  has  treated 
me  very  liberally  since  I  left  my  husband  ;  why, 
only  last  week,  he  sent  me  three  thousand  dol- 
lars." 

Just  then  a  Mr.  Bruce,  the  owner  of  the  furni- 
ture store  below,  came  in,  looking  rather  tipsy. 
Mrs.  Sanford  introduced  the  two  men,  and  Mr 
Bruce  said  something  about  being  an  Irishman 

15* 


346  CONNECTING  LINKS. 


what  a  strange  coincidence,"  said  Mr 
Morton.  "Here  are  three  persons,  each  repre- 
senting one  of  the  three  kingdoms  of  Great  Brit 
ain.  If  I  had  some  one  to  send  for  some  ale, 
we  would  drink  a  toast  to  Britannia,  God  bless 
her  !  " 

After  talking  together  for  some  time,  Mrs. 
Sanford  and  Mr.  Morton  went  into  the  sitting- 
room,  and  Mr.  Bruce  went  down  to  his  store. 
Then  Morton  said  that  he  had  left  his  valise  at 
the  Stock  Yards,  and  that  he  would  go  for  it  at 
once.  On  his  return,  he  found  two  rough-look- 
ing men  at  the  door  trying  to  get  in,  but  the  bell 
would  not  ring,  and  so  Morton  went  away  for 
half  an  hour,  leaving  the  men  knocking  and  kick- 
ing on  the  door.  About  eight  o'clock,  he  came 
back  and  found  the  door  open.  He  went  up- 
stairs and  entered  the  sitting-room.  Mrs.  San- 
ford  was  full  of  apologies  for  having  locked  him 
out,  but  she  said  that  she  had  had  trouble  with 
one  of  her  boarders,  and  she  had  resolved  to  keep 
him  out  of  the  house.  While  they  were  talking, 
the  two  men  whom  Morton  had  seen  at  the  door 
came  in,  and  a  quarrel  immediately  sprang  up 
between  Mrs.  Sanford  and  the  younger  of  the 
two.  In  a  short  time,  they  both  became  furiously 
angry,  and  they  used  the  most  bitterly  oppro- 
brious language  toward  each  other.  Finally, 
Mrs.  Sanford,  who  was  ironing,  rushed  at  the 
young  man  with  a  flatiron  in  her  hand,  and  she 
would  undoubtedly  have  seriously  injured  him  if 
he  had  not  escaped  into  his  own  room  at  the 


CONNECTING  LINKS.  347 

head  of  the  stairs.  She  then  laid  a  heavy  poker 
on  the  table  beside  her,  and  said  that  she  would 
mash  his  skull  if  he  came  near  her  again.  In 
a  short  time,  he  again  reentered  the  room, 
when,  seizing  the  poker,  she  rushed  at  him  like 
a  fury.  He  succeeded  in  avoiding  her  until  Mor- 
ton and  the  other  man  induced  her  to  give  up  the 
poker;  and  both  the  strangers  then  went  away, 
saying  that  they  should  be  back  at  eleven 
o'clock. 

After  their  departure,  Mrs.  Sanford  dropped 
into  a  chair  and  cried  for  a  time,  saying  that  she 
never  had  acted  so  before  in  her  life,  as  no  one 
had  ever  treated  her  so  shamefully.  Then  she 
became  loquacious  and  confidential,  telling  Mor- 
ton the  old  story  of  her  father  being  Lord  Chief 
Justice  of  Scotland,  and  her  husband  a  wealthy 
man  in  Buffalo.  She  recited  the  reasons  she  had 
for  leaving  her  husband,  and  said  that  her  father 
first  sent  her  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  after 
the  separation,  but  that  she  thought  so  small  a 
sum  was  an  insult,  and  so  she  sent  it  back.  She 
added  that  he  had  promised  her  three  thousand 
dollars  very  soon,  and  that  she  expected  to  re- 
ceive it  in  a  week  or  two.  From  this  subject, 
she  drifted  to  the  story  of  young  Traf ton's  death, 
which  she  told  with  great  minuteness.  She  said 
that  when  she  found  he  was  dead,  she  fainted 
away,  and  did  not  recover  for  nearly  two  hours. 

While  she  was  running  on  in  her  story,  a  loud 
noise  was  heard,  and  she  explained  to  Morton 
that  Mi.  Briu-e  had  been  drinking  all  day,  until 


348  CONNECTING  LINKS. 

he  was  afraid  to  go  home,  and  that  now  he  was 
quite  drunk  in  her  room.  She  said  that  he  had 
been  very  kind  to  her  in  letting  her  have  furni- 
ture on  credit,  and  so  she  wanted  to  make  him 
comfortable  until  he  was  sobered  off.  During 
the  evening  she  recited  a  number  of  selections 
from  Byron,  Scott,  and  Longfellow,  and  even 
gave  several  parts  from  Shakespeare's  plays  with 
great  force  and  beauty  of  elocution.  She  also 
talked  a  great  deal  about  Jack  Ingham,  a  former 
lodger  in  her  rooms,  and  she  seemed  to  have  a 
very  high  opinion  of  him.  Bhe  said  that  he  was 
obliged  to  leave  town  because  the  police  were 
after  him  about  something  he  had  done,  adding, 
that  she  didn't  care  for  that,  however,  and  she 
would  never  go  back  on  a  friend,  but  would  shield 
him  for  anything  except  murder.  It  was  after 
two  o'clock  in  the  morning  before  they  retired, 
and  as  she  had  not  fitted  up  Morton's  room  prop- 
erly, she  made  a  bed  for  him  on  the  lounge  in  the 
sitting-room.  As  Mr.  Bruce  was  lying  dead- 
drunk  on  her  bed,  she  was  obliged  to  sleep  on  the 
floor  of  her  room. 

About  four  o'clock  Morton  was  awakened  by 
Mrs.  Sanford,  who  said  that  she  could  not  sleep 
in  her  room,  as  Bruce  snored  so  loudly,  just  aa 
Stanley  Trafton  did  the  night  he  died. 

"  Oh!  it  is  horrible  to  think  of,"  she  said,  shud- 
dering. "I  shall  go  crazy  if  I  stay  in  there  any 
longer." 

She  then  lay  down  on  the  table  and  covered 
herself  with  a  bedspread  she  had  brcught  from 


CONNECTING  LINKS.  349 

her  own  room.  About  six  o'clock  they  were 
awakened  by  a  loud  noise  at  the  outer  door,  and 
Mrs.  Sanford  said  that  those  drunken  loafers  had 
come  back_agaia»  She  immediately  got  up,  took 
a  revolver  from  her  room,  and  went  down  to  the 
door,  where  she  told  the  men  to  go  away,  as  she 
would  not  admit  them  at  that  time  of  night. 
While  she  was  talking  Bruce  began  moving 
around,  and  he  found  his  way  into  the  hall. 
Then  Morton  heard  a  great  crash,  as  if  some  one 
had  fallen  downstairs,  followed  by  a  call  from 
Mrs.  Sanford,  in  tragic  tones,  for  him  to  come  and 
help  her.  Morton  went  out  and  found  that  Bruce 
had  fallen  from  the  top  to  the  foot  of  the  stairs, 
and  on  going  down  he  discovered  the  unfortunate 
representative  of  the  Emerald  Isle  lying  in  a 
heap  against  the  front  door.  The  two  men  out- 
side had  evidently  been  scared  away  by  the  noise, 
and  they  did  not  return  until  eight  o'clock. 
Bruce  was  not  hurt,  except  a  cut  on  his  hand, 
which  Morton  bound  up,  and  then  quiet  reigned 
again  until  after  daylight.  About  nine  o'clock 
Morton  went  in  to  see  Bruce,  whom  he  found 
sitting  up  in  bed.  Bruce  said  that  his  mo: 
was  gone,  and  that  Mrs.  Sanford  had  drugged 
him  the  night  before  to  enable  her  to  steal  it. 
Morton  called  Mrs.  Sanford,  and  asked  where 
Brace's  money  was.  She  said  she  had  put  it 
away  for  safe  keeping,  and,  lifting  the  mattress, 
she  took  out  two  pocket-books  and  a  box  con- 
luining  hot-  watch,  trinkets,  etc.  Having  given 
Bruce  his  pocket-book,  she  went  out,  and  he  then 


350  CONNECTING   LINKS. 

counted  his  money.  He  said  he  ought  to  have 
eighty-one  dollars,  but  that  she  had  helped  her- 
self to  ten  dollars;  it  was  not  worth  while  mak- 
ing a  fuss  about  it,  but  he  said  that  he  knew  she 
had  drugged  him. 

After  awhile,  Mr.  Graves  came  in,  and  had  a 
private  interview  with  Mrs.  Sanford.  She  seemed 
afraid  of  him,  while  he  acted  as  if  he  had  some 
hold  upon  her.  When  they  came  into  the  sitting- 
room,  where  Bruce  and  Morton  were  talking  to- 
gether, Mrs.  Sanford  asked  Graves  to  lend  her  a 
dollar,  but  he  refused. 

' '  Pshaw !  I  don't  want  it, "  she  replied.  ' '  I  only 
asked  to  see  whether  you'd  lend  it,  as  I  have 
quite  enough  of  my  own; "  and,  so  saying,  she 
took  out  her  pocket-book. 

Morton  saw  her  count  out  nine  ten-dollar  bills 
and  nine  one-dollar  bills.  From  the  fact  that  she 
showed  just  ninety-nine  dollars,  it  was  probable 
that  she  had  only  recently  changed  one  of  the 
one-hundred-dollar  bills  taken  from  young  Traf- 
ton.  She  then  opened  another  compartment,  and 
took  out  two  pieces  of  folded  paper,  of  a  creamy 
tint,  apparently  about  the  size  of  two  sheets  of 
foolscap.  They  were  folded  several  times,  and 
were  crammed  in  pretty  tight. 

"Do  you  know  what  those  are?"  she  asked. 

"  No,  I  do  not,"  he  replied;  "  what  are  they? " 

She  merely  laughed,  and  closed  the  pocket- 
book,  whispering  that  she  didn't  want  Graves 
and  Bruce  to  see  her  money.  She  said  she  did 
not  wish  to  be  left  alone  with  Graves,  for  fear  ha 


CONNECTING   LINKS.  351 

should  rob  her;  so  Morton  asked  him  to  go  out 
and  play  a  game  of  billiards.  Bruce  was  in  a 
great  state  of  anxiety,  lest  his  wife  should  have 
come  down  to  the  store  to  see  where  he  had  spent 
the  night,  and  he  remained  with  Mrs.  Sanford. 

Morton  did  not  return  to  Mrs.  Sanford's  until 
late  in  the  evening,  and  he  found  her  dressing  to 
go  to  a  ball.  She  insisted  that  he  should  go, 
offering  to  pay  all  the  expenses.  He  pretended 
to  be  very  much  hurt  at  her  suggestion,  saying 
that  he  never  would  permit  any  lady  to  pay  any- 
thing when  he  took  her  out.  She  was  dressed 
very  tastefully,  and  presented  a  very  stylish  ap- 
pearance, so  that  she  attracted  a  good  deaf  of  at- 
tention at  the  ball.  Before  going,  she  sent  Morton 
to  a  drug  store  for  a  drachm  of  morphine,  saying 
that  she  must  have  it,  as  she  used  it  constantly. 

The  next  morning,  they  did  not  get  up  until  a 
late  hour,  and  Mrs.  Sanford  said  that  she  did  not 
feel  very  well.  While  talking  together,  they 
drifted  into  a  discussion  about  money.  Morton, 
like  a  genuine  John  Bull,  maintaining  there  was 
no  safety  except  in  gold,  or  Bank  of  England 
notes. 

"  But  we  don't  have  either  in  this  country," 
said  Mrs.  Sanford;  "and  now,  suppose  you  had  a 
largo  sum  of  money,  what  would  you  do  with 
it?" 

"  That's  just  what  I  would  like  to  know,"  he  re- 
plied. "  I  expect  to  receive  one  hundred  pounds 
from  England  very  soon,  and  I  don't  know  where 
to  keep  it." 


352  CONNECTING  LINKS. 

"  Well,  I  shall  put  my  three  thousand  dollars 
into  bonds,"  she  said.  "  They  can  be  registered, 
so  that  no  one  can  use  them  except  the  rightful 
owner,  and  the  interest  is  payable  in  gold." 

"I  don't  know  anything  about  bonds,"  said 
Morton,  ' '  especially  these  American  bonds,  which 
sometimes  depreciate  very  fast." 

"  Oh!  the  bonds  of  the  United  States  are  good 
anywhere,"  she  replied,  "and  they  will  sell  for 
their  face  in  England  or  Canada  just  as  well  as 
here.  They  are  the  best  securities  there  are.  I 
have  some  now,  and  I  intend  to  get  some  more." 

While  talking,  Morton  picked  up  a  card  which 
was  in  her  work-basket,  and  saw  that  it  was  an 
advertisement  of  a  gift  concert  or  lottery.  She 
noticed  it,  and  said  that  it  had  been  left  there  by 
a  man  named  Druen,  who  used  to  come  to  see 
her.  She  said  that  he  had  stolen  a  five-hundred- 
dollar  bond  from  her,  however,  and  he  had  never 
been  there  since.  Soon  afterward  she  went  to 
sleep  again,  and  did  not  awake  until  evening,  as 
she  was  very  tired  from  the  effects  of  the  ball. 
Morton  remained  in  the  house  all  day;  and,  when 
she  woke  up,  he  got  supper  for  her.  She  seemed 
very  much  pleased  at  his  thoughtfulness,  and 
said  that  she  never  had  had  any  one  so  kind  to 
her  since  she  left  her  husband. 

"  I  want  you  to  go  to  the  bank  with  me  some 
day,"  she  said,  "  as  I  want  to  draw  the  interest  on 
some  of  my  coupons,  and  then  you  will  see  what 
good  securities  American  bonds  are." 

"I  shall  be  very  glad  to  go  with  you,"  said 


CONNECTING  LINKS.  353 

Morton  ;  "for,  if  they  are  really  good  securities, 
I  will  invest  some  money  in  them." 

"  Oh  !  there  is  nothing  better,"  she  replied, 
rl  and  I  will  show  you  mine." 

She  then  took  out  the  pocket-book  she  hud 
shown  him  before,  and  unfolded  one  of  the 
pieces  of  paper.  Morton  saw  that  it  was  a  five- 
hundred-dollar  bond,  of  the  issue  of  1865,  pay- 
able in  1885,  with  about  twenty  or  thirty  coupons 
attached.  He  was  so  surprised  and  excited  at 
seeing  the  bond,  that  he  could  hardly  tell  what  to 
do,  and  so  he  failed  to  notice  the  most  important 
point — the  number.  By  the  time  she  had  opened 
the  other  bond,  however,  he  had  his  wits  a  little 
more  under  command,  and  he  was  able  to  re- 
member that  the  figures  of  the  number  were 
five,  seven,  one,  zero,  and  some  other  figure;  but 
he  could  not  recollect  positively  the  order  in 
which  they  came. 

"  You  can  go  to  the  bank  to-morrow  and  get 
the  coupons  cashed  for  me,  can't  you?"  she 
asked,  after  putting  away  the  bonds. 

"  Oh  !  certainly,  if  you  wish  me  to  do  so,"  he 
replied. 

Then  she  laughed,  and  said  : 

"You  would  be  arrested  if  you  should  take 
these  bonds  to  the  bank." 

"How  so ?"  he  asked,  apparently  in  great  sur- 
prise. "Why  should  I  be  arrested ? " 

"Because  the  bonds  belong  to  me,  and  you 
would  have  to  give  an  account  of  the  way  in 
which  you  obtained  them." 


354  CONNECTING  LINKS. 

"Oh!  well,"  he  replied,  "you  could  give  me  an 
order,  and  that  would  make  it  all  right." 

"Yes,  I  suppose  so,"  she  said,  carelessly. 

Her  object,  evidently,  was  to  make  Morton 
believe  that  it  would  not  do  for  him  to  attempt 
to  steal  the  bonds;  for,  though  she  trusted  him 
to  the  extent  of  showing  him  her  money  and 
valuables,  she  was  eternally  suspicious  and  care- 
ful. 

Of  course,  on  receiving  Morton's  report,  I  felt 
quite  confident  that  the  two  bonds  he  had  seen 
were  a  part  of  those  taken  from  young  Trafton. 
Still,  I  had  no  positive  proof  of  their  identity, 
and,  in  accordance  with  my  invariable  custom,  I 
took  no  hasty  step,  being  confident  that  my 
detective  would  soon  elicit  all  the  facts.  I  wrote 
to  Mr.  Eichard  S.  Trafton,  however,  suggesting 
that  he  have  himself  appointed  administrator  of 
his  son's  estate,  so  that  he  could  begin  proceed- 
ings instantly,  the  moment  I  was  ready. 

Several  days  passed,  during  which  Morton 
gained  Mrs.  Sanford's  confidence  more  and  more. 
She  was  anxious  one  evening  that  he  should  rob 
Mr.  Bruce,  who  came  in  half  drunk;  but  Morton 
told  her  that  he  never  worked  that  way. 

"Why,  Jack  Ingham  would  have  killed  a  man 
to  get  money  out  of  him,"  said  Mrs.  Sanford. 
"Jack  wasn't  afraid  to  do  anything  for  money." 

"Well,  that  isn't  my  style,"  said  Morton,  con- 
temptuously. "Do  you  suppose  I  am  going  to 
have  a  scuffle  and  struggle,  ending  perhaps  in 
murder,  when  I  can  make  ten  times  as  much  by 


CONNECTING   LINKS.  355 

a  little  skillful  work  with  my  pen  ?  I  don't  want 
the  police  to  be  snuffing  'round  my  heels  on  ac- 
count of  highway  robbery  and  such  small  game  ; 
when  J  do  anything  to  set  them  after  me,  it  will 
be  for  a  big  stake,  and  even  if  they  catch  me, 
they  will  be  mighty  glad  to  compromise.  Oh  ! 
no  ;  not  any  little  jobs  for  me  ;  it  is  only  the  big 
rascals  who  can  work  safely." 

Morton  succeeded  in  inducing  her  to  leave 
Bruce  alone,  though  she  had  evidently  meant  to 
drug  him,  for  she  to6k  a  glass  of  beer,  which  she 
had  poured  oat  for  him-,  and  threw  it  into  the 
sink.  They  all  drank  considerable  beer,  however, 
during  the  evening,  and  Mrs.  Sanford,  having 
taken  also  a  large  dose  of  morphine,  became 
nearly  insensible.  On  seeing  her  condition,  Mor- 
ton and  another  lodger  thought  they  had  better 
put  her  to  bed ;  but  as  Bruce  was  in  a  drunken 
stupor  in  her  room,  Morton  determined  to  try  the 
effect  of  putting  her  into  the  room  where  young 
Trafton  had  died.  No  sooner  had  they  laid  her 
on  the  bed,  however,  before  she  sprang  up,  gazed 
around  an  instant,  and  then  rushed  shrieking 
from  the  room,  saying  that  she  dare  not  lie  there, 
and  that  she  had  seen  "him  "lying  beside  her. 
She  was  then  placed  on  the  lounge  in  the  sitting- 
room,  where  she  became  quite  hysterical.  Mor- 
ton sat  beside  her,  and  soothed  her  until  she 
became  quiet,  and  about  midnight  she  fell  asleep. 

Morton  said  to  me,  on  making  one  of  Ins 
reports,  that  she  would  often  determine  to  give 
up  morphine  and  liquor,  and  live  more  respect- 


356  MRS.    SANFORD  ARRESTED. 

ably.  Then  she  would  become  excited  from  the 
craving  for  the  drug,  and  would  take  a  dose, 
which  would  soothe  her.  make  her  amiable,  and 
givo  her  energy  enough  to  do  anything ;  gradu- 
ally she  would  become  wild  again,  and  'voukl  be 
almost  unbearable,  while  the  maddening  effect 
lasted,  especially  if  she  took  any  liquor  to  add  to 
her  temper  ;  finally,  the  vnfluence  would  pass  off, 
leaving  her  weak,  despondent,  and  stupidly  affec- 
tionate. I  saw  that  she  was  not  likely  to  confess 
anything  to  any  one,  and  I  therefore  decided  to 
bring  the  affair  to  a  crisis  without  delay. 


CHAPTER   V. 

A  moneyed  young  Texan  becomes  one  of  Mrs.  Sanford's 
Lodgers. — The  Bonds  are  seen,  and  their  Nuti>l><  rs 
taken  by  the  Detectives. — Mrs.  Sanford  Arrested. — 
Sudden  and  Shrewd  Defense  by  the  Prisoner. — /She 
is  found  guilty  of  "involuntary  Manslaughter"  and 
sentenced  to  the  Illinois  Penitentiary  for  Jive  years. — 
Misdirected  Philanthropy,  and  its  Reward. — Mr. 
Pinkerton's  Theory  of  the  Manner  in  which  Trafton 
was  Murdered. 

HAVING  discussed  my  plan  with  my  superin- 
tendent, Mr.  F.  Warner,  I  sent  for  one  of 
my  youngest  men,  named  Thomas  Barlow,  and 
gave  him  explicit  instructions  as  to  the  course 
which  he  was  to  pursue  in  connection  with  Mrs, 
Sanford. 


MRS.    SANFORD   ARRESTED.  357 

On  the  first  day  of  February,  therefore,  a  young 
fellow  called  at  Mrs.  Sanford's  about  five  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  and  asked  if  she  had  any  rooms 
to  rent.  She  was  very  civil  to  him,  and  offered 
him  the  room  at  the  head  of  the  stairs,  for  three 
dollars  a  week.  While  she  was  showing  him  the 
rooms,  she  asked  him  a  number  of  questions 
arJout  himself ;  and  as  he  was  a  smooth-faced, 
innocent-looking  young  man,  he  told  her  all 
about  his  affairs.  He  said  that  his  name  was 
Thomas  Barlow,  from  Texas,  where  his  father 
was  a  great  cattle-raiser ;  he  had  brought  several 
hundred  head  of  cattle  to  the  city,  and  had  sold 
them  at  a  high  price;  he  intended  staying  in  Chi- 
cago for  a  short  time,  and  then  he  should  go  up 
the  Eed  Eiver  of  the  North,  in  the  early  spring, 
to  do  some  fur  trading,  as  he  believed  there  was 
a  good  deal  of  money  to  be  made  up  there,  by  any 
one  with  sufficient  capital;  he  intended  to  have  a 
good  time  in  Chicago  first,  however. 

As  soon  as  Mrs.  Sanford  learned  that  he  had 
money  with  him,  she  became  very  affectionate 
indeed,  telling  him  that  she  would  make  him 
more  comfortable  than  he  could  be  anywhere  else, 
and  that  she  would  treat  him  like  a  prince.  She 
introduced  Morton  as  her  brother,  and  said  that 
they  would  all  go  to  the  theatre  together.  At 
first,  Barlow  refused,  but  she  insisted  so  urgently, 
that  he  finally  consented  to  go.  He  went  away 
for  an  hour  to  get  his  valise,  and  when  he  re- 
turned, Mrs.  Sanfonl  \vas  dressed  in  her  most 
stylish  clothes,  as  if  determined  to  make  the  best 


358  MRS.    SANFORD  ARRESTED. 

possible  impression  upon  him.  He  was  very 
good-natured  and  boyish,  apparently  believing  all 
she  told  him,  and  laughing  at  all  her  attempts  to 
be  funny.  After  leaving  the  theatre,  she  learned 
that  one  of  her  old  acquaintances  was  to  have  a 
'grand  opening"  in  a  new  saloon,  and  she  was 
obstinately  determined  to  find  the  place.  After 
walking  about  for  an  hour,  she  called  a  hackman, 
and  offered  him  five  dollars  to  find  this  new 
saloon,  where  she  was  anxious  to  take  a  drink, 
as  she  said,  "  for  good  luck  and  old  acquaintance' 
sake."  After  driving  about  until  midnight,  she 
learned  that  the  opening  was  postponed,  and 
they  then  went  to  a  restaurant  near  her  house  to 
get  supper.  It  was  two  o'clock  before  they  went 
to  bed,  but  before  going,  Mrs.  Sanford  learned 
that  Barlow  was  to  receive  his  pay  for  the  cattle 
in  a  check  for  over  four  thousand  dollars.  She 
talked  with  him  about  the  risk  of  carrying  money 
around  on  the  person,  and  told  him  that  he  ought 
to  buy  bonds,  as  then  they  would  not  be  lost  even 
if  they  should  be  stolen.  He  agreed  with  her, 
and  said  that  he  would  try  to  buy  some  bonds 
when  he  got  his  check  cashed. 

The  next  morning  they  took  breakfast  with 
Mrs.  Sanford,  as  she  seemed  anxious  to  keep 
Barlow  with  her  as  much  as  possible.  It  was 
noticeable  that  she  did  not,  as  she  had  usually 
done  in  all  previous  instances,  tell  him  anything 
about  young  Traf ton,  who  had  died  in  her  house, 
"with  eighteen  thousand  dollars  in  bonds  in  hig 
boots. "  She  told  Barlow  that  she  had  some  bonds, 
and  he  would  do  well  to  get  the  same  kind. 


MRS.    SANFORD   ARRESTED.  359 

"I  don't  know  much  about  them,"  he  replied, 
"  but  if  you  think  they  are  good,  I  guess  they  are 
good  enough  for  me.  What  are  they  like?  I 
never  saw  any." 

"I  will  show  you  mine,"  said  Mrs.  Sanford. 
"I  am  going  to  sell  one  of  them  soon,  as  my 
lease  is  up  at  the  end  of  the  month,  and  I  want 
to  buy  a  house." 

She  then  went  into  her  bedroom,  closed  the  door, 
and  remained  several  minutes.  When  she  came 
out,  she  had  a  fat  pocket-book  in  her  hand,  and 
she  took  from  it  the  two  pieces  of  folded  paper 
which  she  had  shown  to  Morton.  On  opening 
them,  she  spread  them  out,  and  both  Barlow  and 
Morton  saw  the  numbers  plainly,  as  they  looked 
over  her  shoulder. 

"  There,  these  little  tickets  are  coupons,"  she 
explained  to  Barlow;  "and  every  six  months  T 
can  get  fifteen  dollars  in  gold  by  cutting  off  one 
from  each  bond." 

"  Did  you  say  you  wanted  to  sell  one  ? "  asked 
Morton.  "If  you  do,  perhaps  you  might  sell  it 
to  Mr.  Barlow,  as  a  sample  of  the  kind  he  wants 
to  get." 

"Yes,  that  would  be  a  good  idea,"  said  Barlow; 
"then  they  can't  fool  me  with  any  other  kind, 
when  I  go  to  buy." 

"  Well,  I  guess  I  will  do  it,"  said  Mrs.  Sanford ; 
"at  any  rate,  you  can  see  me  about  it  before  you 
go  to  buy  yours." 

She  then  put  the  bonds  into  the  pocket-book 
again  and  went  into  her  bedroom.  On  her  re 


360  MRS.    SANFORD   ARRESTED. 

turn,  Barlow  told  her  that  he  must  go  down  town 
to  get  paid  for  his  cattle,  and  he  asked  Morton  to 
go  with  him.  Accordingly,  the  two  men  went 
out  about  noon,  but  Mrs.  Sanford  called  Morton 
back  a  moment  to  tell  him  to  stay  with  Barlow 
all  day. 

"Don't  you  lose  sight  of  him  for  a  minute, * 
she  said  ;  "and  bring  him  back  here  with  all  his 
money." 

They  did  not  return  until  after  four  o'clock, 
and  Barlow  told  her  that  he  had  been  obliged  to 
go  to  the  stockyards  to  get  paid.  He  then  went 
to  his  room  for  a  few  minutes,  and  Mrs.  Sanford 
asked  Morton  whether  Barlow  had  his  money 
with  him. 

"Yes,  they  gave  him  a  check  for  the  amount, 
but  it  was  too  late  to  get  it  cashed,  and  he  will 
have  to  wait  until  to-morrow." 

"  Couldn't  we  get  it  away  from  him  and  forge 
his  name  to  it?"  she  asked.  "We  could  get  it 
cashed  the  first  thing  in  the  morning." 

"It  would  be  too  risky,"  he  replied,  "as  they 
probably  know  him  at  the  bank,  and  we  should 
be  arrested  at  once.  But  you  can  offer  to  go 
with  him  to  the  bank  in  the  morning,  and  he  is 
so  soft  that  you  will  not  have  much  trouble  in 
getting  a  large  sum  out  of  him." 

During  the  evening,  Mrs.  Sanford  was  very 
affectionate  toward  Barlow,  and  she  learned  all 
about  him.  He  told  his  story  in  such  a  way,  that 
she  belioved  him  to  be  an  innocent  country  boy 
from  Texas,  whose  most  dangerous  experiences 


MRS.    SANFORD   ARRESTED.  361 

had  hitherto  consisted  of  hairbreath  'scapes  from 
steer  and  bull.  He  showed  her  a  check  on  the 
First  National  Bank  for  about  four  thousand  dol- 
lars, and  told  her  that  when  he  got  it  cashed  in 
the  morning,  he  would  give  her  a  nice  present. 
It  was  then  agreed  that  she  should  go  to  the  bank 
with  him  next  day.  The  evening  was  spent  in 
reading  aloud  and  singing,  and  they  all  retired 
much  earlier  than  usual. 

When  Morton  and  Barlow  left  Mrs.  Sanford  at 
noon,  they  had,  of  course,  come  to  my  office  to 
report  their  discovery  of  the  stolen  bond's.  There 
was  now  no  possibility  of  a  mistake,  as  they  had 
seen  the  two  bonds  of  the  series  A,  numbered 
57,109  and  87,656.  I  therefore  instructed  Mr. 
Warner  to  obtain  a  warrant  for  her  arrest,  and 
a  search  warrant  for  her  house,  both  to  be  served 
the  next  morning  before  the  hour  appointed  for 
going  to  the  bank  with  Barlow.  Everything  was 
prepared  in  advance,  a  trustworthy  constable  was 
obtained  to  make  the  arrest,  and  a  telegram  was 
sent  to  Mr.  R.  S.  Trafton  in  Cleveland,  asking  him 
to  come  to  Chicago  immediately.  A  reply  was 
received  the  next  morning,  stating  that  he  had 
left  by  the  evening  train. 

About  eleven  o'clock  on  Saturday.  February  3, 

Mr.   Warner  and  the  constable  arrived  at  Mrs. 

Sanford's  rooms.  On  knocking  at  the  door  of  the 

sitting-room,  they  \\viv  admitted  by  Morton,  who 

y  v/aii  ted. 

"I  would  liko  to  engage  rooms,  if  there  are 
any  to  rent,"  said  Mr.  Warner. 

10 


862  MRS.    SAXFORD   AHRESTEH. 

"I  will  speak  to  the  landlady,"  said  Morton, 
going  to  the  door  of  her  room 

"  Tell  the  gentleman,  to  call  again,"  said  Mrs. 
Sanford;  "I  am  not  dressed,  and  can't  see  him." 

"I  only  wish  to  see  her  a  few  minutes,"  Mi'. 
Warner  replied,  addressing  Morton  in  a  tone  loud 
enough  to  be  heard  by  Mrs.  Sanford,  whose  door 
was  slightly  ajar. 

"Well,  I  can't  see  the  gentleman  until  this 
afternoon,"  she  replied. 

"  I  have  some  important  business,  and  I  must 
attend  to 'it  now,"  answered  Mr.  Warner,  putting 
his  foot  in  the  opening  and  pushing  the  door  in 
with  his  shoulder;  then  he  continued,  addressing 
the  constable,  "This  is  Mrs.  Sanford,  and  you 
can  arrest  her  now." 

The  constable  immediately  took  charge  of  her, 
and  she  was  allowed  to  complete  her  toilet, 
though  Mr.  Warner  first  searched  her  dress,  be- 
fore letting  her  put  it  on.  He  then  made  a  care- 
ful search  of  the  bedroom,  during  the  progress  of 
which  Mrs.  Sanford  was  very  noisy  and  trouble- 
some, crying,  and  pretending  to  go  into  hysterics 
several  times.  Once,  when  Mr.  Warner  was  look- 
ing very  carefully  through  her  trunk,  she  said  to 
him,  in  very  tragic  tones: 

"  By  the  way  you  act,  one  would  think  you 
were  looking  for  a  murdered  man." 

"  Well,  perhaps  if  we  had  come  a  little  sooner, 
we  might  have  found  one/'  he  replied,  quickly, 
giving  her  a  sharp  glance. 

As  nothing  had  been  said  to  her  or  to  any  ona 


MRS.    8ANFORD  ARRESTED  363 

else  about  any  charge  except  that  of  larceny,  this 
remark  was  highly  significant;  and,  on  her  trial, 
it  undoubtedly  had  great  weight  with  the  jury. 

Mr.  Warner  soon  found  the  pocket-book  con- 
taining the  bonds  under  the  mattress  of  her  bed, 
and  after  examining  them  sufficiently  to  identify 
them,  he  gave  them  to  the  constable.  Mrs.  San- 
ford  was  then  taken  to  my  office,  and,  as  Mr. 
Trafton  had  arrived  from  Cleveland,  we  tried  to 
have  an  interview  with  her  relative  to  young 
Trafton's  death.  She  was  too  crafty,  however, 
and  she  pretended  to  go  into  hysterics  whenever 
we  began  to  question  her. 

Meantime,  Morton  and  Barlow  had  accompa- 
nied her,  and  Morton  offered  to  get  her  a  lawyer 
to  advise  her.  She  was  very  grateful  to  him,  and 
said  he  was  her  only  friend.  He  soon  brought  in 
a  lawyer  well  versed  in  defending  criminals,  and 
the  whole  party  then  went  to  the  justice's  court- 
room. At  the  close  of  the  examination,  she  was 
held  to  await  the  action  of  the  Grand  Jury,  and, 
in  default  of  two  thousand  dollars  bail,  she  was 
sent  to  the  county  jail.  She  told  Morton  that  her 
lawyer  could  not  hah0  lie,  and  that  she  sjiould  not 
pay  him  a  cent.  She  stood  up,  when  the  jus- 
tice's decision  was  announced,  and  made  quite  a 
speech;  and  the  native  cunning  of  the  woman 
\vas  never  more  clearly  shown  than  in  this  pica, 
\vliich  was  undoubtedly  invented  on  the  spur  of 
the  moment.  She  claimed  that  young  Trafton 
had  given  her  the  bonds  to  support  her  child, 
whose  father  he  was,  and  she  spoke  with  so  much 


364  MRS.    SANFORD  ARRESTED. 

vigor  and  cunning  that  many  persons  believed  hei 
statement  to  be  true.  Thus,  \vithout  consulta- 
tion or  legal  advice,  she  invented  in  a  moment 
the  strongest  possible  defense  against  the  charge 
of  larceny, — the  charge  of  murder  had  not  then 
been  brought. 

When  she  was  removed  to  the  jail,  she  gave 
Morton  the  keys  to  her  rooms,  telling  him  to  take 
charge  of  everything  there,  and  to  find  a  pur- 
chaser for  her  furniture.  He  therefore  informed 
two  young  men  who  were  lodging  there  that  M  rs. 
Sanford  had  been  arrested,  and  that  they  must 
find  other  rooms,  as  he  intended  to  sell  out  the 
furniture.  After  they  had  gone  he  cleaned  up 
the  house,  packed  Mrs.  Sanford's  trunks,  and 
made  everything  look  as  well  as  possible.  While 
she  was  awaiting  trial,  he  visited  her  every  day 
and  gave  her  various  delicacies  to  improve  the 
prison  fare.  One  day  he  pretended  to  have 
pawned  his  overcoat  for  five  dollars,  in  order  to 
get  her  some  lemons,  tea,  and  sugar.  She  was 
very  much  touched,  and  she  gave  him  five  dol- 
lars to  get  back  his  coat;  but  this  action  was 
due  to  a  momentary  impulse.  She  had  plenty  of 
money,  and  was  able  to  get  anything  she  wanted; 
but  her  desire  to  hold  fast  to  her  money  \vas 
greater  than  her  wish  for  good  food.  Indeed, 
bhe  came  near  jeopardizing  her  cause  by  refusing 
to  pay  the  lawyer  she  had  engaged,  but  finally 
she  gave  him  a  retaining  fee  of  fifty  dollars. 

She  was  very  anxious  to  learn  who  won1  ihc. 
detectives  employed  in  working  up  the  case,  and 


MRS.    SANFORD   ARRESTED.  365 

she  said  that  she  believed  Barlow  had  had  some- 
thing to  do  with  her  arrest.  Morton  agreed  with 
her,  and,  as  the  papers  had  said  that  there  were 
three  engaged  in  the  case,  he  suggested  that  pel 
haps  the  two  men  whom  she  had  turned  out  of 
doors  were  also  detectives.  She  never  suspect  <  <1 
either  Ingham  or  Morton  for  a  moment ;  and 
when  Ingham  called  upon  her  in  jail,  she  was 
delighted  to  see  him.  She  tried  to  get  bail  from 
the  two  brothers,  named  Pratt,  who  had  occu- 
pied one  of  her  rooms,  as  one  of  them  had  been 
very  intimate  with  her;  but  they  were  afraid  of 
getting  mixed  up  in  her  difficulties,  and  so  re- 
fused to  help  her  obtain  bail.  She  also  asked 
Ingham  to  swear  to  a  number  of  falsehoods 
about  her  intimacy  with  Traftori,  and  when  ho 
refused  to  do  so,  for  fear  of  being  tried  for  per- 
jury, she  said  that  she  could  get  " her  Billy"  to 
swear  to  anything.  This  "Billy"  proved  to  be 
one  William  Simpson,  a  barkeeper,  and  her  for  nit  -r 
paramour.  He  was  tracked  for  some  time  by 
my  detectives,  but  he  suddenly  disappeared,  and 
was  not  seen  again  until  her  trial  for  larceny, 
when,  just  as  she  said,  he  was  willing  to  swear 
to  anything.  He  then  disappeared  again,  but  I 
did  not  take  much  interest  in  following  him  up, 
I  knew  that  he  would  not  dare  to  repeat  his 
perjury  when  the  murder  trial  should  take  place. 
His  testimony  was  to  the  effect  that  he  had  over- 
heard a  conversation  between  Mrs.  Sanford  and 
young  Trafton,  in  which  the  latter  acknowledged 
that  he  was  the  father  of  Mrs.  Sanford 's  child, 


366  MRS.    SANFORD  ARRESTED. 

having  been  intimate  with  her  in  Buffalo  about 
eighteen  months  before.  The  question  of  a  sup- 
port for  the  child  was  discussed  between  them, 
and  Trafton  said  that  he  would  give  her  fifteen 
hundred  or  two  thousand  dollars  in  bonds,  to 
enable  her  to  bring  up  his  child  in  comfort.  The 
witness  also  testified  that  Trafton  and  Mrs.  San- 
ford  were  very  intimate  with  each  other,  often 
occupying  the  same  room  together ;  that  Mrs. 
Sanford  often  spoke  of  her  former  intimacy  with 
him;  and  that  he  inferred  from  their  conversa- 
tion that  Trafton  had  been  the  cause  of  her  sepa- 
ration from  her  husband.  This  testimony  was 
very  skillfully  manufactured  and  artistically  de- 
veloped, so  as  to  make  Trafton  appear  in  the 
light  of  a  libertine  and  profligate,  and  Mrs.  San- 
ford  as  a  confiding  wife,  led  astray  by  the  wiles 
of  a  treacherous  man.  In  spite  of  the  bad  char- 
acter and  appearance  of  this  fellow  Simpson,  his 
testimony  had  enough  weight  with  some  of  the 
jury  to  cause  a  disagreement,  and  Mrs.  Sanford 
was  remanded  to  jail. 

Mr.  Eobert  S.  Trafton  was  anxious  to  bring 
her  to  punishment,  as  he  felt  confident  that  she 
had  caused  the  death  of  his  son.  The  circum- 
stances of  the  case  caused  considerable  delay,  and 
it  was  not  until  January  27,  1873,  nearly  a  year 
after  her  arrest,  that  the  trial  on  the  charge  of 
murder  took  place. 

The  testimony  in  this  trial  was  highly  interest- 
ing on  many  accounts.  The  County  Physician, 
who  had  made  the  first  post-mortem  examination 


MRS.    SANFORD   ARRESTED.  367 

of  the  remains,  and  who  had  given  congestion  of 
the  lungs  as  the  cause  of  death,  stated  that  he 
found  the  deceased  lying  dead  in  Mrs.  Sanford's 
rooms,  and  that  he  took  charge  of  the  property 
found  in  his  possession.  He  stated  that  he 
should  have  made  a  closer  examination  if  he  had 
not  found  the  bonds  and  money;  but  he  did  not 
suspect  foul  play,  and  therefore  made  only  a 
hasty  investigation. 

By  the  testimony  of  two  or  three  witnesses  it 
was  shown  that  on  the  night  of  Traftoii's  death 
Mrs.  Sanford  went  into  two  saloons  about  mid- 
night, asking  for  "her  Billy,"  meaning  the  man 
Simpson,  by  whose  testimony  she  escaped  con- 
viction on  the  larceny  charge,  he  being  then  liv- 
ing on  her  bounty.  While  looking  for  him  she 
was  very  wild  and  excited,  her  clothes  being  dis- 
ordered, and  her  watchchain  broken.  To  one 
witness  she  said  that  she  wished  Billy  to  come  to 
her  house  to  look  at  the  "prettiest  corpse  she 
evei  saw."  One  witness  testified  that  she  re- 
turned to  his  saloon  about  five  or  six  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  and  induced  him  to  go  up  to  her 
rooms  to  look  at  the  body;  he  did  so,  and  found 
the  body  of  a  man  lying  in  bed,  partly  covered 
up.  She  had  a  large  roll  of  money  and  papers  in 
her  pocket-book. 

A  surgeon  of  the  highest  reputation  in  Cleve- 
land was  called,  and  gave  his  testimony  in  the 
most  direct  and  convincing  manner,  like  a  man 
-who  knew  perfectly  well  what  he  was  talking 
about,  and  who  was  not  guessing  at  any  of  the 


368  MRS.    SAIN  FORD   ARRESTED. 

facts  as  slated  by  him.  He  declared  that  death 
resulted  from  the  blow  on  the  right  side,  aided 
by  the  violence  on  the  throat  and  neck.  There 
was  very  slight  congestion  of  the  brain  and  of 
the  lungs,  but  he  was  positive  that  death  was  not 
the  result  of  either  of  these;  indeed,  leaving  out 
of  consideration  the  marks  of  external  violence, 
he  said  that  he  should  not  have  been  able  to  ac- 
count for  Mr.  Traf ton's  death.  At  the  conclusion 
of  his  re-direct  examination  he  said  that  death 
could  be  caused  by  a  heavy  blow  of  the  fist,  fol- 
lowed by  choking,  and  he  would  swear  positively 
that  Trafton's  death  was  produced  by  violence. 
The  testimony  of  this  witness  was  corroborated 
by  that  of  several  other  surgeons  of  high  reputa- 
tion, and  then  a  sensation  was  created  by  the  call- 
ing of  John  Ingham  for  the  prosecution. 

As  Mrs.  Sanford  saw  her  well-beloved  friend, 
Jack,  take  the  stand  and  acknowledge  himself  to 
be  one  of  Pinkerton's  dreaded  detectives,  she 
broke  down  and  cried  bitterly.  Ingham  related 
the  history  of  his  connection  with  the  affair, 
stating  the  different  stories  which  Mrs.  Sanford 
had  told  about  Trafton's  death,  and  also  her  fear 
of  going  in  the  room  where  he  died.  He  then 
gave  the  inside  history  of  his  arrest  for  the 
alleged  robbery  of  Adamson,  showing  that  it  had 
been  planned  in  advance  by  me  to  induce  Mrs. 
Sanford  to  give  him  her  confidence.  After  her 
arrest  for  larceny,  he  had  visited  her  in  jail,  and 
she  had  tried  to  get  him  to  swear  that  he  had 
heard  Trafton  promise  to  give  her  the  bonds  to 


MRS.    SANFORD   ARRESTED.  369 

f 

support  her  child.  When  he  objected,  on  the 
ground  that  he  might  be  arrested  for  perjury,  she 
had  told  him  that  "her  Billy,"  meaning  William 
Simpson,  would  swear  to  it  anyhow. 

The  testimony  of  Mr.  Warner  relative  to  find- 
ing the  bonds  in  Mi's.  Sanford's  possession  was 
corroborated  by  that  of  the  constable;  they  also 
repeated  Mrs.  Sanford's  remark  made  during  the 
search,  before  any  charge  of  murder  had  even 
been  suggested:  "By  the  way  you  act,  I  should 
think  you  were  looking  for  a  murdered  man. " 

When  the  testimony  for  the  prosecution  was 
all  in,  the  defense  had  a  turn,  and  they  produced 
as  many  medical  experts  to  prove  that  Trafton 
did  not  die  of  violence,  as  the  other  side  had  to 
prove  that  he  did  not  die  a  natural  death;  indeed, 
from  the  medical  testimony  given,  there  might 
have  been  grave  doubts  raised  as  to  whether  he 
had  any  business  to  die  at  all,  for,  according  to 
both  sides,  no  adequate  cause  of  death  had  been 
discovered.  Several  witnesses  testified  that  they 
believed  him  to  have  been  on  a  long  spree  just 
before  his  death,  but  these  were  soon  rebutted  by 
equally  trustworthy  witnesses  for  the  prosecution. 

In  summing  up,  the  counsel  for  the  people 
presented  a  highly  plausible  theory  of  the  man- 
ner in  which  the  murder  was  committed,  and 
asked  a  verdict  on  the  following  grounds: 

Young  Trafton,  as  shown  by  the  testimony  of 
his  'father  and  others,  visited  Chicago  to  buy 
grain,  and  he  was,  therefore,  under  the  necessity 
of  carrying  with  him  a  large  amount  of  money, 

16* 


370  MRS.    SANFORD  ARRESTED. 

• 

Being  unable  to  get  a  room  at  any  hotel  conve- 
nient to  business,  he  probably  entered  the  first 
place  where  he  saw  the  sign,  "Booms  to  Bent," 
and  engaged  a  sleeping-room,  taking  his  meals  at 
a  hotel  near  by  While  lodging  with  Mrs.  San- 
ford,  he  was  trying  to  buy  grain  at  a  paying 
figure,  and  he  was  daily  in  consultation  with 
Captain  Dalton,  who  commanded  one  of  his 
father's  schooners.  Finding  that  he  could  not 
buy  to  any  advantage  in  the  existing  condition 
of  the  grain  market,  he  sent  the  schooner  back 
to  Cleveland  on  the  last  day  of  November,  in 
order  that  she  should  not  be  caught  in  the  ice  in 
the  straits  at  the  close  of  navigation.  He  was 
then  ready  to  return  himself,  and,  doubtless,  on 
going  to  his  lodgings,  he  so  informed  Mrs.  San- 
ford.  As  he  had  made  no  secret  of  his  reason 
for  visiting  Chicago,  she  was,  probably,  well 
aware  of  his  object,  and  also  of  the  fact  that  he 
had  a  large  amount  of  money  with  him.  Seeing 
his  careless  ways,  the  idea  occurred  to  her  to  rob 
him,  and,  having  his  expected  departure  in  view, 
she  knew  that  she  would  have  only  one  more 
opportunity  to  carry  out  her  scheme. 

On  his  return  that  evening,  therefore,  having 
just  parted  from  Captain  Dalton  in  perfect  health 
and  sobriety,  he  was  invited  to  eat  supper  with 
her.  Suspecting  110  harm,  he  sat  down  and  ate 
a  hearty  supper.  In  some  way,  either  in  his  food 
or  drink,  a  dose  of  morphine  was  given  to  him, 
and  he  soon  fell  fast  asleep.  The  woman's  oppor- 
tunity was  before  her,  and  all  the  natural  thirs< 


MRS.    SANFORD    ARRESTED. 

for  money  which  characterized  her  came  upon 
her  with  full  force,  urging  her  on  and  inciting 
her  to  any  lengths  necessary  to  accomplish  her 
object.  Having  laid  him  on  his  bed,  she  began 
to  search  his  pockets  with  the  stealthy  touch  of  a 
practiced  hand.  Finding  nothing  at  first  to  re- 
ward her  search,  she  pulled  off  one  of  his  boots 
and  discovered  the  United  States  bonds,  which 
he  had  concealed  there.  But  the  violence  neces- 
sary to  remove  the  boot  caused  him  to  partly 
waken  from  his  drugged  sleep,  and  he  became 
vaguely  aware  that  some  one  was  trying  to  rob 
him.  Still  in  a  drowsy,  confused  state,  however, 
he  was  unable  to  do  more  than  to  sit  up  and 
clutch  wildly  at  his  assailant;  having  caught  one 
of  the  bonds,  he  clung  to  it  until  it  was  torn  in 
two  pieces,  the  fragments  plainly  showing  how 
they  had  been  wrenched  asunder  in  the  clasp  of 
two  determined  hands  —  those  of  the  murderess 
and  her  victim.  But  she  soon  found  that  he  was 
gaining  his  senses  too  rapidly,  and  that  she 
would  be  foiled  in  her  attempted  robbery;  hence, 
with  every  blinding  passiou  aroused,  her  greed 
and  her  fear  equally  Inciting  her  to  action,  she 
struck  him  a  heavy  blow  on  the  thigh  and  an- 
other more  powerful  one  on  the  side.  Partly 
stunned  by  the  concussion,  he  fell  back,  and  she 
then  seized  him  by  the  throat..  Her  round,  plump 
hands,  though  powerful  enough  to  strangle  him, 
left  only  slight  marks  of  abrasion  on  the  skin, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  all  was  over.  His  property 
at.  her  meivy,  and  she  #ivo  no  thought  tc 


872  MRS.    SANFORD  ARRESTED. 

the  body  of  her  victim  until  she  had  seized  every 
piece  of  valuable  paper  in  his  possession. 

But  her  position  was  a  dangerous  one,  and,  on 
cooling  off  somewhat,  she  saw  that  something 
must  be  done  to  remove  any  appearance  of  foul 
play.  How  could  it  be  done  most  effectually  ? 
Manifestly  by  giving  no  apparent  ground  for  sus- 
pecting that  she  had  any  object  in  his  death  ; 
and  no  course  would  be  more  effectual  than  to 
leave  such  an  amount  of  property  in  his  posses- 
sion as  to  make  strangers  believe  that  none  of  it 
had  been  taken.  -It  may  well  be  imagined  that 
this  was  her  hardest  task  ;  for  to  give  up  money 
was  probably  a  greater  hardship  for  her  than 
for  some  people  to  give  up  life.  Still,  it  would 
never  do  to  run  the  risk  of  being  accused  of  mur- 
der ;  so,  reluctantly,  she  placed  one  bond  in  his 
pocket,  and,  by  accident,  included  with  it  one- 
half  of  the  torn  bond,  the  other  half  being  placed 
under  his  head,  in  the  boot  from  which  it  was 
taken.  She  then  undressed  the  body,  placed  it 
naturally  in  bed,  and  went  out  to  look  for  "her 
Billy,"  her  paramour  and  panderer  in  vice. 

This  was  the  history  of  the  crime,  as  pictured 
by  the  prosecution ;  and  all  her  actions  since 
that  fatal  night  had  been  in  harmony  with  such 
a  theory.  Her  allegations  of  intimacy  with 
young  Tiafton  were  unsupported,  save  by  the 
testimony  of  this  William  Simpson,  her  para 
mour.  It  was  noticeable  that,  while  this  man 
had  testified  in  the  trial  for  larceny  that  he  had 
overheard  Mr.  Trafton's  acknowledgment  of 


MES.    SAKFORD  AERESTED.  373 

being  the  father  of  Mrs.  Sanford's  child,  in  the 
murder  trial  he  was  not  asked  to  give  any  such 
testimony,  nor  was  the  existence  of  such  a  child 
i«vcn  hinted  at  by  the  defense.  The  counsel  for 
Mrs.  Sunford  were  well  aware  that  she  had  never 
had  a  child,  and  that  this  fact  could  be  proven  if 
necessary.  On  discovering,  too,  that  Jack  Ing- 
ham  was  a  Pinkerton  detective,  instead  of  Mrs. 
Sanford's  best  friend,  they  saw  other  reasons 
why  it  would  not  be  advisable  to  cause  Mr.  Wil- 
liam Simpson  to  perjure  himself  again. 

The  defense  contented  themselves  with  claim- 
ing that  there  was  no  sufficient  evidence  to  prove 
that  Mr.  Trafton  had  died  a  violent  death  at  all, 
and  that  there  was  no  evidence  whatever  to  show 
that,  even  if  foul  play  had  occurred,  Mrs.  San- 
ford  had  been  the  guilty  person.  This  plea  was 
ably  presented  by  the  counsel,  and  the  judge 
then  briefly  charged  the  jury  as  to  the  law,  and 
the  form  of  their  verdict.  During  the  early  part 
of  the  trial,  Mrs.  Sanford  behaved  very  badly, 
often  contradicting  witnesses  aloud,  and  making 
many  audible  remarks  to  the  jury  and  the  Court; 
after  the  testimony  for  the  defense  began, 
however,  she  paid  very  little  attention  to  the 
proceedings,  often  dozing  and  sleeping  in  her 
chair.  This  habit  was,  undoubtedly,  due  to  the 
use  of  morphine,  of  which  she  consumed  large 
quantities. 

The  jury  retired  at  three  o'clock,  and,  on  the 
first  ballot,  they  stood  nine  for  conviction  and 
three  for  acquittal.  After  discussing  the  n  >ti- 


374  MRS.    SANFORD  ARRESTED. 

mony  for  more  than  four  hours,  a  compromise 
was  reached,  and  the  judge  having  been  in- 
formed that  the  jury  had  agreed  upon  a  verdict, 
the  prisoner  was  brought  in  to  hear  the  finding. 

All  being  in  readiness,  the  clerk  read  the 
verdict  as  follows: 

"  We,  the  jury,  find  the  defendant  guilty  of  in- 
voluntary manslaughter,  and  fix  her  time  of 
imprisonment  at  five  years  in  the  penitentiary." 

At  the  word  "guilty,"  Mrs.  Sanford  gave  a 
violent  start;  but,  as  the  remainder  of  the  finding 
was  read,  she  seemed  to  feel  agreeably  surprised. 
Hhe  asked  for  a  glass  of  water  in  a  low  tone, 
i  urned  very  white,  and  then  fainted  away  before 
the  water  could  be  handed  to  her. 

She  was  then  removed  to  the  jail  to  await  the 
argument  on  a  motion  for  a  new  trial.  While 
there,  she  gave  one  of  the  most  effectual  evi- 
dences of  her  ruling  passion — greed.  She  was 
the  object  of  considerable  sympathy  among  a  cer- 
tain class  of  sentimentalists,  and  the  amount  of 
compassion  wasted  upon  her  was  remarkable  to 
those  who  knew  her  real  character  and  habits; 
but  there  is  no  accounting  for  tastes,  and  so  Mrs. 
Sanford  was  treated  with  great  consideration  by 
a  number  of  well-meaning  but  unsophisticated 
people.  Among  the  Good  Samaritans  who  took 
the  most  interest  in  her  was  a  lady  named  Mrs. 
Jones,,  and  this  lady  visited  her  quite  frequently 
in  her  cell,  bringing  her  books  and  papers. 

One  morning,  Mrs.  Jones  complained  of  feel- 
ing unwell,  and  Mrs.  Sanford  immediately  gave 


MRS.    SANFORD  ARRESTED.  375 

her  a  glass  of  water.  Soon  after  drinking  it, 
Mrs.  Jones  became  very  sleepy,  and  in  a  few 
minutes,  she  was  in  a  sound  slumber.  This  ef- 
fect had  been  produced,  of  course,  by  a  dose  of 
morphine  in  the  water,  and  Mrs.  Sanford  then 
proceeded  to  rob  Mrs.  Jones  of  all  her  valuables. 
Mrs.  Jones  was  in  moderate  circumstances,  and 
her  purse  was  not  sufficiently  well  filled  to  satisfy 
Mrs.  Sanford's  avaricious  demon;  hence,  she 
made  a  thorough  search  for  other  plunder.  It 
happened  that  Mrs.  Jones,  having  lost  all  of  her 
upper  teeth,  had  supplied  their  place  by  an  arti- 
ficial set,  mounted  on  a  plate  of  solid  gold.  Not 
content,  therefore,  with  plundering  her  benefac- 
tress in  other  respects.  Mrs.  Sanford  actually 
took  the  set  of  teeth  from  Mrs.  Jones's  mouth, 
and  hid  them  in  her  own  trunk. 

Of  course,  on  awakening,  Mrs.  Jones  missed 
her  teeth  and  charged  Mrs.  Sanford  with  having 
taken  them.  The  latter  denied  having  done  so, 
railed  and  swore  at  Mrs.  Jones,  and  tried  to  pre- 
vent the  officers  from  searching  the  cell.  The 
teeth  and  other  articles  stolen  from  Mrs.  Jones 
were  found  at  the  bottom  of  Mrs.  Sanford's 
trunk,  and  Mrs.  Jones  retired  from  the  jail 
strongly  impressed  with  the  conviction  that  phi- 
lanthropy had  its  hardships  as  well  as  rewards. 

The  motion  for  a  new  trial  being  overruled, 
sentence  was  pronounced  in  accordance  with  the 
verdict  of  the  jury,  and  Mrs.  Sanford  was  con- 
signed to  the  Illinois  State  Penitentiary  at  Joliet. 

in  iv-;ar-l  (o  the  manner  in  which  young  Traf 


275  MRS.    SANFORD  ARRESTED. 

toil  was  murdered,  I  have  always  had  a  theory  of 
my  own;  and,  while  of  course  I  do  not  pretend  to 
any  surgical  learning,  I  give  it  for  what  it  is 
worth,  prefacing  it,  however,  with  the  remark 
that  several  eminent  physicians  concur  in  my 
opinion,  or,  at  least,  admit  its  strong  probability. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Mrs.  Saiiford  used 
morphine  continually,  and  that  she  boasted  of 
her  ability  to  administer  it  in  just  the  proper  pro- 
portion to  cause  her  victims  to  fall  into  a  heavy 
sleep.  In  all  probability,  as  suggested  by  the 
State's  Attorney,  she  gave  young  Trafton  a  dose 
at  supper;  but  it  is  also  possible  the  effect  was 
not  sufficient,  and  that  when  she  tried  to  rob  him, 
he  slightly  revived,  struggled,  and,  seizing  one  of 
the  bonds  in  a  convulsive  grasp,  tore  it  in  two. 

So  far,  the  theories  are  identical,  but  I  failed  to 
see  a  sufficient  cause  of  death  in  the  slight  blow 
and  mild  choking,  especially  as  the  lungs  did  not 
present  the  conditions  which  would  have  ap- 
peared had  death  resulted  from  strangulation  or 
asphyxia.  On  searching  Mrs.  Sanford's  rooms, 
Mr.  Warner  found  two  or  three  small  syringes, 
intended  for  making  hypodermic  injections,  and 
these  led  me  to  believe  she  caused  Traf  ton's  death 
by  morphine  alone.  My  idea  was  as  follows: 

When  she  found  that  Trafton  was  not  suffi- 
ciently drugged  to  enable  her  to  rob  him  in  safety, 
she  probably  let  him  alone,  and  the  drug  again 
took  effect  to  the  extent  of  putting  him  to  sleep. 
She  then  resorted  to  a  subcutaneous  injection  of 
morphine,  knowing  that  the  soporific  influence  of 
the  drug  would  thus  be  made  more  rapid  and 


MRS.    SANFORD  ARRESTED.  87'l 

powerful.  This  operation  was  performed  on  the 
side,  and  then  near  the  large  veins  of  the  leg,  and 
thus  were  caused  the  apparent  bruises  filled  with 
extravasated  blood.  Now,  the  effect  of  morphine 
raries  largely,  according  to  the  constitution,  tern 
j^erament,  and  habits  of  the  persons  to  whom  it 
is  given;  but  the  combined  result  of  internal  and 
external  doses  almost  invariably  is  death. 

It  seems  altogether  probable  to  me,  therefore, 
that  Trafton  came  to  his  death  in  that  manner, 
and  that  the  traces  of  morphine  in  the  wounds, 
as  in  the  stomach,  had  wholly  evaporated  before 
the  Cleveland  surgeons  made  their  examination, 
twelve  days  after  death. 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  means,  however, 
there  can  be  no  doubt  that  murder  most  foul  was 
committed,  and  that  Mrs.  Sauford  richly  deserved 
a  greater  punishment  than  was  awarded  to  her. 
Whether  she  had  any  accomplice  will  never  be 
known,  but  it  is  probable  that  she  had  some  one 
in  the  house  who  was  aware  of  the  murder  a  fin- 
it  had  been  committed,  if  not  before.  This 
would  account  for  the  absence  of  the  fifth  bond, 
which  was  never  recovered,  but  which  was  after- 
ward traced  back  from  the  Treasury  Depart- 
ment, when  it  was  presented  there,  to  some  un- 
known woman,  who  had  sold  it  in  Milwaukee. 
This  woman  was  evidently  not  Mrs.  Sanford,  but 
her  identity  could  not  be  discovered,  and,  there, 
fore,  all  trace  was  lost. 

THE  END. 


C.    W.    DILLINCHAM,    Successor. 


1887. 


1887. 


NEW    BOOKS 


AND    NEW    EDITIONS, 

RECENTLY    ISSUED    BY 

G.  W.  mi.I.IXdillAJI.    l»ul»li»lic-r, 

Successor  to  G.  W.  CARLETON  &  Co.i 
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on  this  Catalogue  by  mail,  postage  free. 

All  handsomely  bound  in  cloth,  with  gilt  backs  suitable  for  libraries. 
Mary  J.  Holmes'  Novels. 


Tempest  and  Sunshine ,$i  50 

English  Orphans i  50 

Homestead  on  the  Hillside i  50 

'Lena  Rivers i  50 

Meadow  Brook I  50 

Dora  Deane i  50 

Cousin  Maude i  50 

Marian  Grey i  50 

Edith  Lyle i  50 

Daisy  Thornton 150 

Chateau  D'Or i  5o 

Queenie  Hetherton i  50 

Bessie's  Fortune (New) i  50 


Darkness  and  Daylight 

Hugh  Worthington 

Cameron  Pride 

Rose  Mather 

Ethelyn's  Mistake 

Millbank — 

Edna  Browning 

Wes c  Lawn 

Mildred 

Forrest  House 

Madeline 

Christmas  Stories 


Charles  Dickens- 15  Vols.-"  Carleton's  Edition." 


Pickwick  and  Catalogue .  $1  s° 

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Bleak  House i  50 

Martin  Chuzzlewit i  50 

Barnaby  Rudge— Edwin  Drood.  150 
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Oliver  Twist — Uncommercial.,  i  50 


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Hidden  Path i  50 

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Miriam i  50 


Marion  Harland's  Novels. 


David  Coppcrfield Q 

Nicholas  Nickleby 

Little  Dorrit 

Our  Mutual  Friend 

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J''ull  Sets  in  half  calf  bindiujjs 5 


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My  Little  Love 


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Vashti 

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Kate  Danton i  50 

Silent  and  True i  50 

Maude  Percy's  Secret.   i   ^o 

A  New  Novel 


May  Agnes  Fleming's  Novels. 


Expressmen  and  Detectives $i  50 


Allan  Pinkerton's  "Works. 


Spiritualists  and  Detectives 

Model  Town  and  Detectives..,,. 

Strikers,  Communists,  etc 

Mississippi  Outlaws,  etc 

Bucholz  and  Detectives  

Burglar's  Fate  and  Detectives... 


Mollie  Maguires  and  Detectives,  i  50 
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Claude  Melnotte  and  Detectives,  i  50 
Criminal  Reminiscences,  etc....  i  50 

Rail-Road  Forger,  etc i  50 

Bank  Robbers  and   Detectives...    i  50 

A  Double  Life (New) i  50. 

Bertha  Clay's  Novels. 

Thrown  on  the  V/orld $i  50     *  "7 '-  ' 

A  Bitter  Atonement i  50 

Love  'Works  Wonders i  50 

Evelyn's  Folly i  50 

Under  a  Shadow 150 

Beyond  Pardon i  50 

The  Earl's  Atonement 150 

New  York  Weekly"  Series. 


Brownie's  Triumph — Sheldon... $i  50 
The  Forsaken  Bride.  do  ...  i  50 
Earl  'Wayne's  Nobility.do  ...  i  50 
Lost,  a  Pearle —  do  ...  i  50 

Young  Mrs.Charnleigh-Henshew  i  50 

His  Other  Wife— Ashleigh i  50 

A  Woman's  Web — Maitland i  50 


Heir  of  Charlton. 

Carried  by  Storm 

Lost  for  a  Woman 

A  Wife's  Tragedy 

A  Changed  Heart 

Pride  and  Passion 

Sharing  Her  Crime 

AWrongedWife 

The  Actress  Daughter 

The  Queen  of  the  Isle.. (New). 


Gypsies  and  Detectives. . 


A  Woman's  Temptation 

Repented  at  Leisure 

A  Struggle  for  a  Ring 

Lady  Darner's  Secret 

Between  Two  Loves 

Put  Asunder (New) 


' 
9 

: 
y, 

SO 

1 
I  ' 

$1  50 

I  5° 

i  50 

*  5° 

i  5° 

i  5° 

i  50 

?1  50 

i  50 

I  50  \ 

i  5° 

i  So 

i  50 


Peerless  Cathleen — Agnew 

Faithful  Margaret — Ashmore.... 

Nick  Whiffles— Robinson 

Grinder  Papers — Dallas 

Lady  Lenora — Conklin 

Stella  Rosevelt— Sheldon. .(New) 


. 
Miriam  Coles  Harris'  Novels. 

Rutledge $i  5°  j  The  Sutherland*. . 

Louie's  Last  Term,  St.  Mary's,    i  50  !  Frank  Wariington 
A.  S.  Roe's  Select  Stories, 


True  to  the  Last §i  50 

The  Star  and  the  Cloud 150 

How  Could  He  Help  it  ? 


Julie  P.  Smith's  Novels. 


Widow  Goldsmith's  Daughter.. §i  50 

Chris  and  Otho i  50 

Ten  Old  Maids  i  50 

Luc 


A  Long  Look  Ahead 

I've  Been  Thinking 

To  Love  and  to  be  Loved. 


The  Widower 

The  Married  Belle 

Courting  and  Farming 

Kiss  and  be  Friends 


His  Young  Wife 150     Blossom  Bad (New) 

Artemas  Ward. 

Complete  Comic  Writings — With  Biography.  Portrait  and  50  illustrations.. 

The  Game  of  Whist. 
Pole  on  Whist— The  English  Standard  Work.     With  the  "  Portland  Rules  " 

Victor  Hugo's  Great  Novel. 

Les  Miserables — Translated  fron  the  French.    The  only  complete  edition... 

Mrs.  Hill's  Cook  Book. 

Mrs.  A.  P.  Hill's  New  Southern  Cookery  Book,  and  domestic  receipts... 
Celia  E,  Gardner's  Novels. 


Stolen  Waters.     (Inverse).. 
Broken  Dreams.        do. 
Compensation.  do. 

A  Twisted  Skein.      do. 


Tested 

Rich  Medway 

A  Woman's  Wiles 

Terrace  Roses 


i  30 
i  50 

$i  50 

I  5° 
i  5° 

Si  SO 
i  50 
i  5° 

i  50 
$1  50 
9  75 


G.    II'.   DII.I.I.VG  HAM'S   PUBLICATIONS. 


Captain  Mayno  Reid's  Works. 

alp  Hunters   iM  50     The  White  Chief. 


The  Sc 

The  Rifle  Rangers i  50 

The  War  Trail 150 

The  Wood  Rangers r  50 

The  Wild  Huntress 150 


The  Tiger  Hunter. .. 

The  Hunter's  Feast 

Wild  Life 

Osceola,  the  Seminole 


Hand-Books  of  Society. 

The  Habits  of  Good  Society — The  nice  points  of  taste  and  good  manners.    .  I 

The  Art  of  Conversation — Kor  those  who  wish  to  be  agreeable  talkers 

The  Arts  of  Writing,  Rear^ag  and  Speaking—  For  Self-Improvement  ... 
New  Diamond  Edition — T^e  above  three  books  in  one  volume — small  type.        50 

Josh  Billings. 

His  CompleteWritiiy-^With  biography, SteeTPortrait  and  100  Illustrations.$2  oo 

Arsene   Houssaye. 

Philosophers  and  .stresses — Ste.c-1  portraits  of  Voltaire  and  Mme.  de 

1'ar.ii'crr.  2  vols.,  per  set §4  oo 

Men  and  Women  of  the  Eighteenth  Century — Steel  portraits  of  Louis 

XV.  and  Mme.  de  Pompadour.  2  vols.,  per  set 4  oo 

Annie  Edwardes'  Novels. 

Stephen  Lawrence §i  50     A  Woman  of  Fashion §i  50 

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The  Life  of  Jesus.     Translated.. .§i  75  I  The  Life  of  St.  Paul.    Translated. $1  75 

Lives  of  the  Apostles.    Do.      ...    i  75!  The  Bible  in  India— By  Jacolliot.  200 

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Our  Artist  in  Cuba,  Peru,  Spain  and  Algiers — 150  Caricatures  of  Travel §i  oo 

M.  M.  Pomeroy  (Brick). 

Sense.     A  serious  book $i  50  I  Nonsense.     (A.  comic  book) §i  50 

Gold  Dust.       Do i  50     Brick-dust.             Do i  50 

Our  Saturday  Nights i  50     Home  Harmonies i  50 

Miscellaneous  Works. 

Carleton's  Hand  Book  of  Popular  Quotations — With  their  authorship ?i  50 

Carleton's  Classical  Dictionary — A  Condensed  Mythology  for  popular  use.  75 

Fifty  Years  among  Authors,  Books  and  Publishers — I'.v  J.  C.  Derby 2  oo 

Children's  Fairy  Geography — Witii  hundreds  of  beautiful  illustrations i  oo 

Carleton's  Popular  Readings— Edited  by  Anna  Randall  Dichl.    2  vols.,  each  i  50 

Laua  Veneria,  and  Other  Poems — l!y  Algernon  Charles  Swinburne I  50 

Sawed-off  Sketches— Comicbook  by  "  Detroit  1  i                                               il  i  50 

Hawk-eye  Sketches — Comic  book  by  "  Burlington  Hawk-eye  Man.1'     Do.  i  50 

The  Culprit  Fay — Joseph  Rod                                     .     With  100  illustrations. ..  200 

Parlor  Amusements— (lames.  Tricks,  Home  Amusements,  by  Frmk  Bellew.  i  oo 

Love  [L* Amour]  —  Knglish  Translation  from  Michelet's  famous  I'tench  work,  i  50 

Woman  |La  Femme]— The  Sequel  to  "  L'Amour."        Do.           Do.  150 

Verdar.t  Green— A  racy  Knglish  college  story.     With  200  comic  illustrations,  i  50 

Clear  Light  from  the  Spirit  World—By  Kate  Irving i  25 

Bottom  Facts  Concerning  Spiritualism— By  John  \V.  Truesdcll   i  50 

Why  Wife  and  I  Quarreled — 1'oem  by  theauthor  r  t  "  l!rt-->  and  I  are  Out."  i  oo 

A  Northern  Governess  at  the  Sunny  South — By  1'rofcssor  J.  11.  Ingraham.  i  so 

Birds  of  a  Feather  Flock  Together— By  Kdward  A.  Sothern,  the  actor  ...  i  5.1 

Yachtman's  Primer— Corn-,  i  [lutmctioni  for  Ajnateur  Sailors.    By  Warren.  50 

Longfellow's  Home  Life — By  Blanche  Roosevelt  Marhetta.     Illustrated...  i  50 

Every-Day  Home  Advice  —  For  H<>i!-f  hoM  ami  I                        inomy...    ....  i  50 

Ladies'  and  Gentlemen's  Etiquette  Book  of  the  best  Fashionable  Society,  i  oo 

Love  and  Marriage— A  book  for  unmarried  people.    By  Frederick  Saunders.  i  oo 

Under  the  Rose — A  Capital  book,  by  the  author  of  "  T                            I  oo 

So  Dear  a  Dream— A  novel  by  Miss  Grant,  author  of  "The  Sun  Maid." t  oo 

Give  me  thine  Heart — A  capital  new  domestic  Love  St>  -                      i  oo 

Meeting  her  Fate — A  charming  novel  by  the  author  of  "  Aurora  Floyd."...  i  oo 

ful  to  the  End— A  delightful  doi                     ,  by  Roe  i  oo 

So  True  a  Love— A  novel  by  Miss  ('.rant,  author  of  "The  Sun  Maid/' i  oo 

True  as  Gold — A  charming  domestic  story  by  Roe... t  oo 


G.    W.  DILLINGhA.U  <-   PU1 


A  Naughty  Girl's  Diary $  50 

A  Good  Boy's  Diary 50 

Bad  Boy's  Reader — F.  Bellc-.v..  10 

Abijah  Beanpole  in  New  York.  50 

Never— Companion  to  "  Don't."..  25 

Always — By  author  of  "Never."..  25 

Stop — By  author  of  "  Never."....  25 

Smart  Sayings  of  Children — Paul  i  oo 

Crazy  History  of  the  U.  S 50 

Cats,  Cooks,  etc.— By  E.T.  Ely..  50 


Humorous  Works. 


Dawn  to  Noon — By  Violet  Fane..§i  50 

Constance's  Fate.          Do.          ..  i  50 

French  Love  Songs — Translated.  50 

Lion  Jack — By  P.  T.  Barnum i  50 

Jack  in  the  Jungle.     Do i  50 

How  to  Win  in  Wall  Street....  50 

The  Life  of  Sarah  Bernhardt...  25 

Arctic  Travels — By  Dr.  Hayes.,  i  50 

Whist  for  Beginners 25 

Flashes  from  "Ouida." i  25 

Lady  Blake's  Love  Letters  ...  25 

Lone  Ranch — By  Mayne  Reid..  .  i  50 

The  Train  Boy — Horatio  Alger..  i  25 
Dan,  The  Detective.     Do^        ..125 


Miscellaneous  'Works. 


West  India   ••'ck'ks.W.r 

The  Comic  i.  ten x  50 

Store  Drumming-       „  Fi 
Mr.Spriggins — By  WidowBedot;.  T  SO 
Phemie  Frost — Ann  S.  Si 
That  Awful  Boy— X.  V.  Week, 
That  Bridget  of  Ours.  Do.        ..        50 
Orpheus  C.Kerr— Four  vols.in  one.  2  oo 

Ingglish  az  she  iz  Spelt 25 

Man  Abroad 25 


i  5° 
i  50 
i  53 
i  oo 
i  So 
i  5° 
i  5° 
5° 


Doctor  Antonio — By  Ruffini $t  50 

Beatrice  Cenci— From  the  Italian,  i  50 

The  Story  of  Mary 150 

Madame — By  Frank  Lee  Benedict  i  50 
A  Late  Remorse.              Do. 
Hammer  and  Anvil.        Do. 
Her  Friend  Laurence.    Do. 

Mignonnette — By  Sangree 

Jessica— By  Mrs.  W.  H.  White.... 

Women  of  To-day.     Do 

The  Baroness — Joaquin  Miller... 
One  Fair  Woman.       Do. 

TheBurnhams— Mrs.G.E. Stewart  2  oo 

Eugene  Ridgewood— Paul  James  i  50 

Braxton's  Bar — R.  M.  Daggett..  i  50 

Miss  Beck— By  Tilbury  Holt..   .  i  50 

A  Wayward  Life i  oo 

Winning  Winds — Emerson i  50 

A  CollegeWidow — C.H.Seymour  i  50 

Me — By  Mrs.  Spencer  W.  Coe....  50 

Peace  Pelican— Fannie  Smith...  i  50 

Hidden  Power— T.  H.  Tibbies...  i  50 

Two  of  Us — Calista  Halsey 75 

Cupid  on  Crutches — A.  B.  Wood.  75 

ParsonThorne — E.M.Buckingham  i  50 

Sirrors— By  Ruth  Carter i  50 

UnmistakableFlirtation — Garner  75 

Wild  Oats — Florence  Marryatt. ..  i  50 

Widow  Cherry — B.  L.  Farjeon..  25 

Solomon  Isaacs.        Do.              ..  50 

Doctor  Mortimer — Fannie  Bean,  i  50 

Two  Brides — Bernard  O'Reilly.,  i  50 

Louise  and  I— By  Chas.  Dodge.,  i  50 

My  Queen — By  Sandette i  50 

Fallen  among  Thieves — Rayne.  i  50 

Saint  Leger — Richard  B.  Kimball  i  75 


Miscellaneous  Novels. 


Gospels  in  Poetry — E.H. Kimball. $i  50 

The  Life  of  Victor  Hugo 50 

Don  Quixote.     Illustrated i  oo 

Arabian  Nights.      Do i  oo 

Robinson  Crusoe.  Do i  oo 

Swiss  Family  Robinson — Illus. .  i  oo 

Debatable  Land— R.  Dale  Owen.  2  oo 

Threading  My  Way.      Do.  i  50 

Spiritualism— By  D.  D.  Home...  2  oo 

Fanny  Fern  Memorials — Parton  2  oo 

Northern  Ballads-E.  L.Anderson  i  oo 

Stories  about  Doctors — Jeffreson  i  50 

Stories  about  Lawyers.      Do.  i  50 


Was  He  Successful  ?— Kimball.    $i 

Undercurrents  of  Wall  St.  Do.  i 

Romance  of  Student  Life.  Do.  i 

To-day.                                       Do.  i 

Life  in  San  Domingo.            Do.  i 

Henry  Powers,  Banker.       Do.  i 

Led  Astray— By  Octave  Feuillet.  j 

Boscobel,  a  Winter  in  Florida..  * 

The  Darling  of  an  Empire i 

Confessions  of  Two i 

Nina's  Peril— By  Mrs.  Miller i 

Marguerite's  Journal — For  Giris  i 

Rose  of  Memphis— W.C.Falkner  i 
Spell-Bound — Ali-xandre  Dumas. 

Purple  and  Fine  Linen — Fawcett  i 
Pauline's  Trial — I,.  I).  C.-uri 

The  Forgiving  Kiss— M.  I,..ih'. .  i 
Measure  for  Measure — Stanl 

Charette — An  American  novel  ...  i 

Fairfax  — By  John  Estcn  Cooke...  i 

Hilt  to  Hilt.                           Do.  i 

Out  of  the  Foam.               lv>.  i 

Hammer  and  Rapier.       Do.  i 

Kenneth— I                      Rrock i 

Heart  Hungry.Mrs.UV-. 

Clifford  Troupe.  i 

Price  of  a  Life— R.  F.  Stur^U. ..  i 

Marston  Hall— L.  Ella  Byrd i 

Conquered— I'y  a  New  Author...  i 

Tales  from  the  Popular  Operas,  j 
Edith  Murray — Juaim.i 
San  Miniato — Mrs.C.V.lIami: 

All  for  Her— A  Talc  of  New  York,  i 

L'Assommoir— Zola's  great  novel  i 

Vesta  Vane—  By  L.  King,  R.   ...  i 

Walworth's  Novels— Six  vols...  i 


MRS.  MARY  J.  HOLMES'  WORKS. 


TEMPEST  AND  SUNSHINE. 
ENGLISH  ORPHANS. 
HOMKSTKAD  ON  HILLSIDE. 
•LENA  RIVKK:-;. 
MEADOW  BROOK. 
DORA  DEANE. 
COUSIN  MAUDE. 
MARIAN  GREY. 
EU1TH  LYLE. 

DAISY  THORNTON.    (New). 


DARKNESS  AND  DAYLIGHT. 
HUGH   WOkTHINGTON. 
CAMERON    PRIDE. 
ROSE   MATHER. 
KTHKLYN'S    MISTAKE. 
MILLBANK. 
EDNA   BROWNING. 
WEST  LAWN. 
MILDRED. 
'  FORREST  HOUSE.       |  (Ntw). 


OPINIONS    OF    THE    PRESS. 

-Mrs.  Holmes'  stories  are  universally  read.  Her  admirers  are  numberless. 
&ho  is  m  many  respects  without  a  rival  in  the  world  of  fiction.  Her  characters  are 
•Iw^ys  life-like,  and  she  makes  them  talk  and  act  like  human  beings,  subject  to  the 
same  emotions,  swayed  by  the  same  passions,  and  actuated  by  the  same  motives 
which  are  common  among  men  and  women  of  every  day  existence.  Mrs.  Holmes 
is  very  happy  in  portraying  domestic  life.  Old  and  young  peruse  her  stories 
with  great  delight,  for  she  writes  in  a  style  that  all  can  comprehend." — fievt 
York  Weekly. 

The  North  American  Review,  vol.  81,  page  537,  snys  of  Mrs.  Mary  J. 
Holmes'  novel.  "English  Orphans": — "With  this  novel  of  Mrs.  Holmes'  we  have 
been  charmed,  and  so  have  a  pretty  numerous  circle  of  discriminating  readers  to 
whom  -,ve  have  lent  it.  The  characterization  is  exquisite,  especially  so  far  as 
concerns  rural  and  village  life,  of  which  there  are  some  pictures  that  deserve  to 
be  hung  up  in  perpetual  memory  of  types  of  humanity  fast  becoming  extinct  The 
_  ics  are  generally  brief,  pointed,  and  appropriate.  The  plot  seems  simple, 
:iy  iin.l  n  iturally  is  it  developed  and  consummated.  Moreover,  tht.  story 
thus  gracefully  constructed  and  written,  inculcates  without  obtruding,  not  only 
pmc  l'liri-.tian  MI orality  in  general,  but,  with  especial  point  and  power,  the  depen- 
dence of  trui'.  success  on  character,  and  of  true  respectability  on  merit.  ' 

"  Mrs.  Holmes'  stories  are  aU  of  a  domestic  character,  and  their  inveres*.  there- 
fore, is  not  so  infuse  as  if  they  were  more  highly  seasoned  with  sirsation 
but  it  is  of  a  healthy  and  abiding  character.  Almost  any  new  book  whi-.h  ha 
publisher  nii;ht  choose  to  announce  from  her  pen  would  g«-t  -n  immediate  and 
general  reading.  The  interest  in  her  tales  begins  at  once,  ai..i  is  mainta.i-.ed  to 
the  close.  Her  sentiments  are  so  sound,  her  sympathies  so  warm  .tml  \ 

•  of  miuincrs.  character,  and   the    -aried    incidents   of  ordinary 
jfe   is  so    thorough,  that   she   would   find   it  difficult  to  write   any  other   than  an 
it  tale  if  she  were  to  try  A." --Boston  Banner. 

ire  all  handsomely  printed  and  bound  in  cloth,  sold   *verjr 
•nd  sent  by  mail.  /,'.t  tiigr  /rrr,  on  receipt  of  price  [§1.50  each],  by 

G.   W.   CARLETON  &  CO.,  Publishers, 

Madison  Square,  A~fx\  York. 


CHARLES   DICKENS'   WORKS. 

A   NEW        *£&        EDITION. 

Among  the  many  editions  of  the  works  of  this  greatest  ol 
English  Novelists,  there  has  not  been  until  now  one  that  entirely 
satisfies  the  public  demand. — Without  exception,  they  each  have 
some  strong  distinctive  objection, — either  the  form  and  dimen 
sions  of  the  volumes  are  unhandy — or,  the  type  is  small  and 
indistinct — or,  the  illustrations  are  unsatisfactory — or,  the  bii.-J 
ing  is  poor — or,  the  price  is  too  high, 

An  entirely  new  edition  is  now,  however,  published  by  G.  W. 
Carleton  &  Co.,  of  New  York,  which,  in  every  respect,  com- 
pletely satisfies  the  popular  demand. — It  is  known  as 

"Carletou's  New  Illustrated  Edition." 
COMPLETE  IN  15  VOLUMES. 

The  size  and  form  is  most  convenient  for  holding, — the  type  is 
entire!)-  new,  and  of  a  clear  and  open  character  that  has  received 
the  approval  of  the  reading  community  in  other  works. 

The  illustrations  are  by  the  original  artists  chosen  by  Charles 
Dickens  himself — and  the  paper,  printing,  and  binding  are  of  an 
attractive  and  substantial  character. 

This  beautiful  new  edition  is  complete  in  15  volumes — at  the 
cxtrsmely  reasonable  price  of  $1.50  per  volume,  as  follows  • — 

I. — PICKWICK    PAPERS   AND   CATALOGUE. 

2. — OLIVER   TWIST. — UNCOMMERCIAL   TRAVELLER. 

3. — DAVID   COPPERFIELD. 

4. — GREAT   EXPECTATIONS. — HAIY   AND   AMERICA. 

5. — DOMBEY    AND    SON. 

6. — BARNABY   RUDGE   AND   EDWIN   DROOD. 

7. — NICHOLAS   NICKLEBY. 

8. — CURIOSITY   SHOP   AND   MISCELLANEOUS. 

9. — BLEAK   HOUSE. 
IO. — LITTLE   OORRIT. 
II. — MARTIN   CHUZZLEWIT. 
13.— OUR   MUTUAL   FRIEND. 

13. — CHRISTMAS   BOOKS. — TALE   OK  TWO   CITIES. 
14. — SKETCHES   BY   BOZ  AND    HARD   TIMES. 

H. — CHILD'S  ENGLAND  AND  MISCELLANEOUS. 


The  first  yolume — Pickwirk  Papers — contains 
j     catalogue  of   all  of  Charles   Dickens'  writings,  with  their 
I     positions  in  the  volumes. 

This  edition  is  sold  by  Booksellers,  everywhere — and  single 
specimen  copies  will  be  forwarded  by  mail,  postage  free,  on  re- 
!     :eiut  of  price.  $1.50,  by 

6.  W.  CARf-ETON  &  CO.,  Publishers, 

Madison  Square.  New  York. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY,  LOS  ANGELES 

COLLEGE  LIBRARY 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


us. 


0£C 


\ 

Book  Slip-35m-7,>63(D863s4s4)4280 


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UCLA-College  Library 

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L  005  741  024  3 


College 
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